CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Katharine Gun

Mike Hancock: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions he has had in the last 12 months with the Secretary of State for Defence on the Katharine Gun case.

Christopher Leslie: None.

TRANSPORT

Classic Cars (Vehicle Excise Duty)

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what extra revenue has accrued for each year since 1997; and what he estimates the projected extra revenue will be for the next 10 years, as a result of freezing the threshold of vehicle excise duty exemption for classic cars at the year 1973, compared with the rolling 25-year exemption previously in operation.

Alistair Darling: Since 1997 the Government have sought to restructure Vehicle Excise Duty so that it reflects the environmental impacts of vehicles. This is in keeping with the Government's aim to ensure that the UK meets its legally binding Kyoto targets for the reduction of carbon emissions. The rolling 25-year exemption was abolished in 1998 because it was inconsistent with this environmental focus.
	Currently the VED exemption in respect of all vehicles registered before 1 January 1973 costs the Exchequer over £40 million per annum. If the rolling 25-year VED exemption for cars had continued to the present day, the additional costs to the Exchequer in terms of revenue foregone would have been close to £9 million in 2003–04 alone. The total additional cost since 1997 would have been a little over £20 million. Precise figures would require detailed analysis of vehicle stock data, including engine sizes of all extant 25 to 30-year-old vehicles. Future revenue implications will depend on vehicle ownership and use patterns, and in particular on how quickly older vehicles are scrapped.

Cycling

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of cycle paths there were in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The Department does not hold this information for the 1997–98 financial year. The following table lists cycle tracks and cycle lanes in kilometres constructed by local authorities for subsequent years.
	
		Number of cycle tracks and lanes from 1997–98 to 2002–03 (kilometres)
		
			  Cycle track Cycle lane Total 
		
		
			 1998–99 210 145 355 
			 1999–2000 221 178 399 
			 2000–01 810 399 1,209 
			 2001–02 804 405 1,209 
			 2002–03 1,348 2,118 3,466

Railways

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the need for high-speed rail services.

Tony McNulty: The Strategic Rail Authority discussed the feasibility of a north-south high-speed line in its Strategic Plan 2003 as part of its long-term planning. But the priority is for the railway to concentrate on improving its current performance on the existing network.

Railways

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the most recent figures are for (a) reliability, (b) punctuality, (c) public performance measures and (d) complaints for each train operator operating services in Greater London in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) measures train performance by the Public Performance Measure (PPM) which combines reliability and punctuality. It is published by train operator in the SRA's quarterly National Rail Trends (NRT). The latest publication covers performance to the year ending 30 September 2003 and is placed in the Library of the House. The next edition, Quarter 3 2003–04, covering performance to 31 December 2003 will be published on 11 March.
	Until March 2003, complaints data by train operator were published in the SRA's six monthly On Track publication. Copies of On Track are placed in the Library of the House. In future, complaints data by train operator will appear annually in Quarter 4 of NRT which will also act as an annual compendium of statistics. This will be published in the summer.

Railways

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the re-opening of railway stations at (a) Easington, (b) Colliery and (c) Horden.

Tony McNulty: There are no current plans to re-open these stations.

Railways

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether Network Rail has exemption from the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in respect of track maintenance work.

Kim Howells: NR is bound by the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). There is no specific exemption for Network Rail, but exceptions are provided which may sometimes be utilised by NR to maintain the safety and reliability of the railway.

Road Improvements

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate real terms cost inflation for road improvement projects in Greater London for each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: Information on real-terms cost inflation is not recorded on an annual basis for road projects. Since July 2000, Transport for London, under the Mayor, have been responsible for road improvement projects in London, excluding motorways, which remain the responsibility of the Highways Agency.

Spitting

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what police procedures oversee the use of DNA kits issued by Metroline bus company used to identify spitting offenders.

Tony McNulty: The London Borough of Brent's Operational Command Unit in partnership with Metroline will soon be piloting the use of DNA kits on buses to aid the identification of spitting offenders. Protocols as to the use of DNA kits are currently being established. This pilot scheme is expected to commence in April and is expected to run for six months.

Transport Projects (London)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the dates of the formal meetings he has had with the Mayor of London about transport projects in London.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 4 March 2004
	The Secretary of State and other Ministers have regular meetings with the Mayor of London on a range of topics.

CABINET OFFICE

Cabinet (Disclosures)

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what (a) advice and (b) guidance is given to former members of the Cabinet concerning disclosures of (i) Cabinet deliberations and (ii) classified documents.

Douglas Alexander: The obligations on former Ministers are set out in paragraph 18 of the ministerial code. On leaving office, Ministers are reminded of these obligations.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will reply to the letter to him dated 8 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms V. Bromage.

Douglas Alexander: This correspondence was received for the first time in the Cabinet Office on 1 March. The issues raised are matters for the Department of Constitutional Affairs and your letter has therefore been passed to the noble Lord, the Lord Filkin who I understand will reply shortly.

Ministerial Visits

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will place in the Library a list of the overseas visits undertaken by ministers in his Department since 1999 indicating in each case by (a) destination, (b) purpose of visit, (c) size of party, (d) composition of party, (e) cost to public funds of each party and (f) the capacity in which the Minister was sent.

Douglas Alexander: The Government have published the overall costs of all ministerial overseas travel and a list of all visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 on an annual basis since 1997. The last list for the period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 was published by the Prime Minister on 16 July 2003, Official Report, column 482W. The next list for the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year.
	Copies of previous lists are available in the Library of the House.

Online Services

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent representations he has received on the effectiveness of the Government's targets for the online delivery of services.

Douglas Alexander: The Government continue to receive representations from stakeholders on the 2005 e-delivery target.
	In September 2002 this target was extended to focus on delivering benefits to customers by achieving high levels of use for key services.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Abattoirs

Edward O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions were brought by her Department against abattoirs for breaches of (a) fresh meat hygiene regulations and (b) animal welfare regulations in each of the calendar years 2002 and 2003; how many separate charges were contained within these prosecutions; on how many of the charges convictions were secured; how many charges were withdrawn by her Department before they were determined by the courts; and what the total sum of legal costs incurred by her Department in the pursuit of these charges was.

Ben Bradshaw: Not all of the detailed information requested is recorded centrally, in particular how many charges were withdrawn, but a summary is provided in the following table. The information covers both this Department and the Food Standards Agency, which is responsible for meat hygiene prosecutions, as well as being involved with animal welfare cases.
	
		
			 Meat hygiene prosecutions 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Number of prosecutions 6 10 
			 Charges on which convictions secured 29 26 
			 Legal costs incurred in pursuit of the charges 16,724 36,648 
			 Animal welfare prosecutions   
			 Number of prosecutions 4 7 
			 Charges on which convictions secured 7 42 
			 FSA legal costs incurred in pursuit of the charges 14,187 19,907 
			 Defra legal costs incurred in pursuit of the charges 3,392 4,999

Animal Welfare

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to improve the welfare of animals in slaughterhouses.

Ben Bradshaw: There are extensive provisions in the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995 designed to protect the welfare of animals both immediately before, and during, the slaughter process. In addition the Farm Animal Welfare Council published a report in 2003 on the welfare of red meat animals at slaughter. The report included 94 recommendations for improving animal welfare. The Government will be issuing shortly for public consultation their draft response to these recommendations.

Animal Welfare

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government have to make compulsory the stunning of animals before religious slaughter.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government's draft response to the recommendations in the Farm Animal Welfare Council's report on the welfare of red meat animals at slaughter, including the recommendation that all animals should be stunned prior to slaughter, will be issued for public consultation shortly.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2004, Official Report, column 1441W, on bovine TB, what criteria were used to assess the humaneness of the pesticide fumigants approved for the destruction of rabbits and moles.

Alun Michael: The Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 (COPR) requires pesticides to be humane and this issue in relation to approved vertebrate control agents was considered by the Advisory Committee on Pesticides in 1996.
	Quantification of "humaneness" was attempted using the assumptions
	(a) that the extent to which a fumigant is humane is universally related to the degree of distress,
	(b) that increased severity of symptoms indicates the degree of distress caused, and
	(c) that increased duration of symptoms increased distress. Since effects resulting in the death of an intoxicated animal will probably involve severe symptoms at least in extremis, the duration of severe symptomatology is used as a major determinant in assessment of humaneness. For judging the severity of symptoms reported among the following data listed, the criteria described in "Pain and Distress in Laboratory Rodents and Lagomorphs: Report of the Federation of Laboratory Animal Science Associations Working Group on Pain and Distress" have been used as a guide.
	The Working Group on Methods for Assessing the Humaneness of Vertebrate Pesticides concluded that pain, distress and suffering could not be measured objectively but that a subjective assessment of humaneness was possible, based on physiological and behavioural data, knowledge of mode of action and post-mortem reports.
	The Littlewood report (1965) recommended that procedures (or in this case conditions) which are known to cause pain in humans should be assumed to do so in other vertebrates unless convincing evidence is available to the contrary.

Cats

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many incidents of disease in humans have been attributed to TB infection in cats.

Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
	There have been no reported cases of tuberculosis infection in humans attributed to infection in cats.

Cetaceans

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of (a) dolphins and (b) porpoises killed each year (i) by British fishing vessels, (ii) in British waters, (iii) by vessels of other European Union countries and (iv) in European Union waters; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: On the basis of research conducted on behalf of Defra by the Sea Mammal Research Unit, estimates have been made of bycatch in UK fisheries. In the offshore bass fishery total bycatches are of the order of 90 dolphins per year, which represents less than 0.1 per cent. of the most recent estimate of common dolphin abundance in the south-west. Annual porpoise bycatch totals for gill net and tangle net fisheries in the south west cannot be determined at present, but bycatch rates estimates are likely to be in the region of 500 porpoises per year. Porpoise bycatch estimates for the North Sea and the west of Scotland are around 490 animals per year.
	However, bycatch information from other member states whose vessels operate in these fisheries and elsewhere around the UK is not available so it is not possible to produce reliable estimates of dolphin and porpoise bycatch deaths within the UK 200-mile limit. In particular, it should be noted that UK vessels in the offshore bass fishery in the south west represent only a small proportion of the total effort in the fishery.

Cockle Beds

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under what powers, and for what reasons, the North-West and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee may close cockle beds.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 27 February 2004
	The North-West and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee may close cockle beds in their district for the purposes of fishery management or for controlling the rate of exploitation of the cockle stocks therein. The closure must be for a specified period and undertaken only after consultation with scientists and local cockle fishermen. Sea Fisheries Committees' byelaws are made under the Sea Fisheries Regulation Act 1966 (as amended).

Department Branding

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department and its predecessors spent on branding the Department between 1997–98 and 2003–04, broken down by (a) consultancy fees, (b) design and orders for new stationery, (c) website design and (d) other material featuring new logos.

Alun Michael: Defra spent the following sums on establishing a new identity since the Department was created in June 2001. Details of expenditure on branding within the predecessor departments could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
	
		Breakdown of branding costs
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 Scoping/consultancy 122,620 
			 Identity design and Brand architecture 48,000 
			 Web design 18,460 
			 Other brand activity 139,977 
			 2002–03 total 329,057 
			   
			 Estimated cost of replacing signage 100,000 
			 2003–04 total 100,000

Horses

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many horses were (a) slaughtered for meat and (b) exported for slaughter in the last year for which figures are available.

Alun Michael: In 2003, 6,727 horses were slaughtered in licensed red meat slaughterhouses in England. I am advised that no live horses were exported for slaughter in 2003.

Horses

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who will administer the National Equine Database.

Alun Michael: The National Equine Database will be jointly administered by industry and Defra though the precise mechanism has yet to be decided.

Horses

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what plans she has to revoke the minimum values legislation;
	(2)  if she will amend the minimum values legislation to prevent the export of live horses for slaughter.

Alun Michael: I wrote to the hon. Member on 14 November 2003 explaining our intention to review the minimum values legislation in the light of proposed changes to the European directive on the welfare of animals during transport. There appears to be some misapprehensions about the existing legislation which has been in place for many years. The minimum values legislation applies to certain types of working horse (but only if they are exported for work) and to ponies. It does not apply to other horses. We have considered carefully whether we could ban the export of horses for slaughter but this would be inconsistent with the approach taken consistently by successive Governments and we believe that we cannot restrict the free movement of horses which is why our focus has been on achieving improved regulation in the UK and across Europe to reduce cruelty and improve the welfare of animals during transport.

Local Government Finance (Dorset)

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what grants were awarded to local authorities in Dorset by her Department in financial year 2003–04 that fall outside the revenue support grant.

Alun Michael: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr. Raynsford) on 1 March 2004, Official Report, column 750W.

Milk

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set up a meeting with milk producers, representatives of supermarkets, dairy farmers and members of her Department to discuss farmgate prices of milk.

Alun Michael: Price negotiation between producers and processors, or processors and supermarkets, are a private commercial matter in which the Government cannot and should not get involved, as competition rules have to be respected. It would be inappropriate for me to discuss private price negotiations and I have no plans to do so. However, Ministers frequently meet representatives from all parts of the dairy supply chain and are therefore aware of the issues. The Dairy Supply Chain Forum, chaired by my noble Friend Lord Whitty, has been looking at collaborative solutions to improve supply chain efficiency, and address some of the other underlying causes of low farmgate prices.

Persistent and Bioaccumulative Chemicals

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the controls contained in the proposed EU chemicals regulation on the use of persistent and bioaccumulative chemicals.

Alun Michael: The European Commission proposes that substances of very high concern shall not be used unless an authorisation for that use has been granted to the user or supplier. Substances of very high concern are defined as carcinogens, mutagens and substances toxic to the reproductive system (CMRs) categories 1 or 2; substances which are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT); very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB); or substances, such as those having endocrine disrupting properties or those having PBT and vPvB properties which do not meet the above criteria and which are identified as causing serious and irreversible effects to humans or the environment on a case by case basis.
	The Government support the aims of the authorisation process to ensure that the risks from substances of high concern are properly controlled and that these substances may be eventually replaced by suitable substances or technologies with the aim of reducing risks to human health and the environment. The Government welcome the inclusion of substances meeting the PBT criteria as being subject to the authorisation procedure.

Pesticides

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mode of action of (a) aluminium phosphide and (b) hydrogen cyanide is in terms of its effects on small mammals when used as a pesticide.

Alun Michael: The following modes of action apply to all mammals, not just small ones.
	(a) Phosphine:
	The primary mode of toxic action of phosphine is considered to be inhibition of cytochrome oxidase in the respiratory metabolism pathway, with additional direct cytotoxicity. Exposure to high concentrations of phosphine leads in vertebrates to a profound fall in blood pressure, followed by death. Lower concentrations cause pulmonary oedema and respiratory failure which may be fatal.
	(b) Hydrogen Cyanide:
	Cyanide combines with the ferric iron atom in haem proteins (eg cytochromes) in vertebrate tissues, impairing their capacity to undergo oxidation and reduction in the normal electron transport process. It can cause death extremely rapidly, primarily by inactivating cytochrome oxidase in tissues.

Poultry

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in what circumstances the Little Red Tractor mark could be awarded to chicken produced in Thailand.

Alun Michael: The Red Tractor is a privately-owned logo which is administered by an independent company, Assured Food Standards. The logo can be used only under licence from that company and only on food that is produced in accordance with standards laid down in an assurance scheme approved by the company, by a member of such a scheme. We understand that no chicken produced in Thailand meets these eligibility requirements.

Seriously Disadvantaged Areas

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which constituencies are in severely disadvantaged areas.

Alun Michael: The severely disadvantaged areas are those areas of land within less favourable areas of the UK, which are handicapped, principally by reason of high altitude, harsh climate, short growing season, low fertility, difficult topography or remoteness. They are defined in statutory maps and in England lie within the following constituencies:
	Barnsley West and Penistone County Constituency
	Barrow and Furness County Constituency
	Berwick-Upon-Tweed County Constituency
	Bishop Auckland County Constituency
	Blackburn Borough Constituency
	Bolton North East Borough Constituency
	Bolton West County Constituency
	Bradford South Borough Constituency
	Bradford West Borough Constituency
	Bridgwater County Constituency
	Burnley Borough Constituency
	Burton County Constituency
	Bury North Borough Constituency
	Calder Valley County Constituency
	Chorley County Constituency
	City of Durham County Constituency
	Colne Valley County Constituency
	Copeland County Constituency
	Halifax Borough Constituency
	Hazel Grove County Constituency
	Hereford County Constituency
	Hexham County Constituency
	Heywood and Middleton County Constituency
	High Peak County Constituency
	Huddersfield Borough Constituency
	Hyndburn Borough Constituency
	Keighley County Constituency
	Lancaster and Wyre County Constituency
	Leominster County Constituency
	Ludlow County Constituency
	Macclesfield County Constituency
	Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland County Constituency
	Morecambe and Lunesdale County Constituency
	North Cornwall County Constituency
	North Devon County Constituency
	North East Derbyshire County Constituency
	North Shropshire County Constituency
	North West Durham County Constituency
	Oldham East and Saddleworth County Constituency
	Pendle Borough Constituency
	Penrith and The Border County Constituency
	Pudsey Borough Constituency
	Ribble Valley County Constituency
	Richmond (Yorks) County Constituency
	Rochdale County Constituency
	Rossendale and Darwen Borough Constituency
	Ryedale County Constituency
	Scarborough and Whitby County Constituency
	Sheffield, Hallam County Constituency
	Sheffield, Hillsborough County Constituency
	Shipley County Constituency
	Shrewsbury and Atcham County Constituency
	Skipton and Ripon County Constituency
	South East Cornwall County Constituency
	South West Devon County Constituency
	St. Ives County Constituency
	Staffordshire Moorlands County Constituency
	Stalybridge and Hyde County Constituency
	Stone County Constituency
	Taunton County Constituency
	Teignbridge County Constituency
	Tiverton and Honiton County Constituency
	Torridge and West Devon County Constituency
	Totnes County Constituency
	Truro and St. Austell County Constituency
	Vale of York County Constituency
	Wakefield County Constituency
	West Derbyshire County Constituency
	Westmorland and Lonsdale County Constituency
	Workington County Constituency

Sheep Quota

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many units of United Kingdom sheep quota were leased-out but remained unused by the recipient farmers in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04.

Alun Michael: The number of sheep quota units leased out in England is set out in the following table. These figures relate to the 2003 and 2004 sheep quota trading periods respectively. The figure for 2004 is an interim figure because the trading period closed on 4 February 2004 and a proportion of notifications remain to be processed.
	
		
			 Year Units leased 
		
		
			 2002–03 822.057 
			 2003–04 428,424 
		
	
	It is not possible to confirm the number of leased quota units that recipient farmers did not use to support sheep premium payments. This is not monitored as there is no requirement in European legislation for farmers to use quota they have leased in.
	The information for other countries within the UK is a matter for their respective Devolved Assemblies.

Single Farm Payments

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the impact of her proposed arrangement for single farm payments upon land values (a) before and (b) after 2012;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the impact of her proposed arrangement for single farm payments upon (a) intensive dairy, (b) extensive dairy, (c) intensive beef, (d) extensive beef, (e) intensive suckler cow, (f) extensive suckler cow, (g) intensive sheep and (h) extensive sheep farming systems (i) before and (ii) after the end of the transitional period in 2012;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the impact of her proposed arrangement for single farm payments upon (a) intensive mixed and (b) extensive mixed holdings (i) before and (ii) after 2012;
	(4)  what assessment she has made of the anticipated per hectare payments to farmers in England under her proposals for single farm payments after 2012 for farms (a) within and (b) outside severely disadvantaged areas;
	(5)  if she will publish each of the assessments her Department made of the anticipated impact of her preferred option for the further payment of single farm payments (a) during and (b) after the transitional period;
	(6)  what assessment she has made of the impact of her proposed arrangement for single farm payments upon farms of (a) supported crops and arable and (b) unsupported crops and arable (i) before and (ii) after 2012;
	(7)  what assessment she has made of the impact of her proposed arrangement for single farm payments upon farm gate prices across each sector (a) before and (b) after 2012;
	(8)  what assessment she has made of the impact of her proposed arrangement for single farm payments upon (a) the future structure of farming, (b) farm and farmland ownership, (c) agricultural productivity, (d) agricultural profitability, (e) farm gate prices across all main sectors, (f) the viability of the present farm structure, (g) the future number of farms and (h) the future number of agriculture and agriculture-related jobs;
	(9)  what assessment she has made of the impact of her proposed arrangement for single farm payments upon (a) farm tenancies and (b) farm rents (i) before and (ii) after 2012;
	(10)  what assessment she has made of the impact of her proposed arrangement for single farm payments upon (a) traditional, (b) small, (c) part-time and (d) family farms in England (i) before and (ii) after 2012;
	(11)  what assessment she has made of the impact of her proposed arrangement for single farm payments upon (a) new entrants and (b) farmers seeking to retire during the period (i) up to and (ii) beyond 2012;
	(12)  what assessment she has made of the impact of her proposed arrangement for single farm payments upon the preponderance of tenanted (a) farms and (b) farmland (i) before and (ii) after 2012;
	(13)  what assessment she has made of the impact of her proposed arrangement for single farm payments upon the (a) viability and (b) number of farms in (i) upland and (ii) severely disadvantaged areas.

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the impact of single farm payments on (a) farms that are rented, (b) owner farms, (c) upland farms, (d) middlehill farms, (e) lowland farms, (f) dairy farms, (g) beef farms, (h) sheep farms, (i) arable farms and (j) mixed farms, in Chorley.

Alun Michael: Defra will publish shortly an analysis of the economic impact on the English farming industry of the decoupling of CAP direct payment and the decision to allocate entitlement on the basis set out in the Secretary of State's Statement to the House on 12 February.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on UK troop levels in Afghanistan.

Geoff Hoon: We currently have around 490 members of the armed forces deployed in Afghanistan, mostly serving with either the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, or with our Provincial Reconstruction Team in Mazar-e Sharif.

A400M

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the A400M will be delivered; and how many aircraft have been procured.

Adam Ingram: The in-service date of the A400M (defined as acceptance into service of the seventh aircraft) is 2011. We expect delivery of the final (twenty-fifth) aircraft to be in 2015.

Aircraft Carriers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to reduce the size of the proposed new aircraft carriers.

Adam Ingram: The Future Carrier programme is currently in its Assessment Phase. The Department has not sought to fix the dimensions of the aircraft carriers during this stage. Instead, parameters such as the ships' size will reflect the design required to meet our capability requirements. It is to be expected that the design of the ships will evolve as the Department seeks to balance, in conjunction with industry, overall performance, time and cost as part of normal Assessment Phase activity.

Defence Logistics Organisation

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the assessment of the feasibility of co-locating additional parts of the Defence Logistics Organisation alongside or close to the existing Ministry of Defence site at Abbey Wood in Bristol to be completed.

Adam Ingram: I expect to make an announcement on this issue before the summer. This will need to be followed by more detailed work on the development of options for possible collocation.

Eurofighter Typhoon

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when Initial Operating Capability on the Eurofighter Typhoon is intended to be achieved; what the Beneficial Use Date for the Typhoon is; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Typhoon will provide a meaningful "initial operating capability" when squadron pilots can begin training. At this point it is considered that they will begin to contribute to defence outputs, and this therefore signifies the Beneficial Use Date for accounting purposes. This is currently planned to be achieved during 2005.

Eurofighter Typhoon

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is seeking liquidated damages for the delays to the entry into service of the Eurofighter Typhoon; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Liquidated damages for the delays to the entry into service of Typhoon will be recovered in accordance with our entitlements under the contracts.

Irish Guards (Kenya Exercise)

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on 1 Battalion, the Irish Guards exercise in Kenya planned for autumn 2004.

Adam Ingram: It is currently planned that 1st Battalion, the Irish Guards will conduct training at Archer's Post, in Kenya, on Exercise GRAND PRIX over the period 16 September—27 October 2004.
	Exercise GRAND PRIX is a battalion group infantry exercise, and provides an opportunity for the Battalion to develop further its collective training skills, while suitably balancing its other activities in 2004, which are focussed on Public and State Ceremonial Duties in London.

MOD Fire Service

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make (a) a decision and (b) an announcement on whether the Ministry of Defence Fire Service will be retained or privatised.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 4 March 2004
	This issue is being considered as part of the Airfield Support Services Project, which is seeking to establish the most cost-effective method of maintaining a full airfield support service including management and administration, without compromising operational capability and/or safety. No decision has yet been made about the outcome of this project and we will only do so following full and careful considerations of all the options. Although we are moving towards this point, I am not yet in a position to say exactly when this will be.

MOD Fire Service

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the comparative cost per firefighter per hour during the firefighters' strike of emergency cover by an armed forces' firefighter and a firefighter employed by a private firm under contract to his Department.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 4 March 2004
	The full cost of using armed forces fire fighters during the fire fighters strike was approximately £17 per hour. No fire fighters employed by private contractors under contract to this Department were deployed on such duties.

MOD Fire Service

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what surveys his Department have undertaken to assess the willingness of firefighters employed by private contractors to serve in war zones during hostilities.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 4 March 2004
	As part of Fire Study 2000, a comprehensive investigation into the organisation of the Department's fire services, a survey was carried out to assess whether fire fighters engaged directly by the Department, and those employed by private contractors, would be willing to serve as Sponsored Reserves, which could involve serving overseas in hostile environments.
	No other specific surveys of fire fighters have been carried out by the Department.

MOD Fire Service

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what insurance cover is given to (a) his Department's fire service personnel and (b) privately contracted firefighters when attending (i) road traffic accidents and (ii) other civil emergencies.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 4 March 2004
	The Ministry of Defence does not purchase insurance policies but pays claims for compensation directly from its current expenditure. Claims are paid in accordance with the Department's legal liability to make payment.
	MOD Fire Fighters are covered for compensation if they should suffer injury or death as a result of negligence on the part of MOD while attending road traffic accidents or other civil emergencies to the same extent as when they are carrying out other official duties. Similarly, if MOD Fire Fighters were to cause injury or death to another individual, or damage to property belonging to another person, while attending road traffic accidents then MOD, not the fire fighter involved, would be liable to pay compensation to that person.
	If MOD Fire Fighters should suffer injury or death as a result of negligence on the part of another person or organisation then MOD would not be legally liable to pay them compensation. Instead they, or their estate, would have to claim from the person concerned. However MOD does have a scheme called ToPaS, under which legal advice and assistance can be obtained, without cost, to enable a claim to be brought.
	Under the rules governing Military Aid to the Civil Community, MOD requires local authorities to indemnify the Department against any costs, such as paying compensation, which may be incurred in providing Aid, such as attending road
	traffic accidents.
	Where the fire service is provided to the Department by a private contractor then it is the contractor who is responsible for making all the necessary insurance arrangements for their employees.

Officers (Leave)

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) majors and (b) brigadiers are between postings; how long each has been on leave; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Less than five Regular Army officers in these ranks are between postings on compassionate leave, unpaid leave or awaiting placement. None of the periods between postings have lasted longer than eight months to date.
	Due to the low numbers involved this information cannot be broken down by Rank or duration because this could identify individuals and breach disclosure and confidentiality policy.

Officers (Leave)

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many senior officers are between postings in the (a) RAF and (b) Royal Navy, broken down by (i) rank and (ii) length of time on leave; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: As at 1 March 2004, there are currently no senior officers in the RAF between postings and on leave.
	In the Navy, as at 1 February 2004 there was one Commander between postings who had been waiting for a new post for seven days.

Procurement Programmes

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress with introducing (a) the Viking all-terrain protected vehicle for the Royal Marines, (b) the Army's Boxer Multi-role Armoured Vehicle and (c) the Defence Information Infrastructure Programme.

Adam Ingram: Deliveries of the Viking all-terrain protected vehicle continue according to programme, with 27 vehicles delivered to date. The In Service Date remains on track for April 2004 when 30 vehicles are due to have been delivered. A pilot Operator/Maintainer course has begun at the Armoured Training Centre, Bovington, to support the introduction of this equipment.
	On the Multi-role Armoured Vehicle, I refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made on 17 July 2003, Official Report, column 71WS, about the UK's decision to withdraw from this tri-national programme.
	The Defence Information Infrastructure Programme (DIIP) is progressing well. The procurement of the Future Defence Information Infrastructure is also progressing well. The Future DII team are currently in negotiations with three short-listed bidders and are on target for announcement of the preferred bidder in early 2005. Commencement of delivery is due to follow during 2005, with Full Operating Capability expected in 2008.

Service Postal Deliveries (Iraq)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors underlay the decision to cancel the facility for service people in Iraq to receive parcels from home free of charge.

Adam Ingram: The postal packet service, whereby named service personnel on Operation Telic were able to receive packets weighing up to 2 kg from friends and relatives free of charge, was introduced at a time when a combination of the austere conditions and the operational situation meant that service personnel did not have access to the toiletries and consumables normally available through the Expeditionary Forces Institute (the deployable arm of NAAFI). By April 2004 the rollout of Expeditionary Forces Institute facilities will be complete allowing service personnel full access to toiletries and small consumables. In addition the Operational Welfare Package is now fully deployed; this includes: a free 20 minute phone call to anywhere in the world once a week, free access to the internet, a period of rest and recuperation of two weeks in a six month deployment, a generous allocation of TVs and radios to enable access to the British Forces Broadcasting Service, videos and DVDs, free books and access to leisure facilities that include gymnasia. Personnel still receive free aerogramme letters (blueys) and e-letters (e-blueys). While the concession for free packets has been withdrawn, packets weighing up to 2 kg can still be sent at a concessionary rate of £7.23, equivalent to the Royal Mail first class inland rate. Continued provision of the free postal packet service cannot be justified under these circumstances and when other operations in other parts of the world are not in receipt of this service.

Typhoon

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding was given to fund the original design work for Typhoon to operate off aircraft carriers.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 2 March 2004, Official Report, column 795W.

HEALTH

Alcohol Abuse

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what his Department's policy is on seeking to prevent alcohol-related harm among older people;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the extent of alcohol abuse among older people.

Melanie Johnson: 21 per cent. of men and 12 per cent. of women aged over 65 drink on a daily basis, although the vast majority of do not misuse alcohol.
	The Government's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England due to be published shortly will set the future direction for the development of alcohol prevention and treatment for all groups in the population, including older people.
	The Government also recently launched "Choosing Health?", a consultation on improving people's health. The consultation will seek views on the role that Government, the national health service, the media, other organisations and people themselves can play in making the nation healthier. The consultation will offer the opportunity to have a wide ranging national debate about improving the health of all, including older people.

Bed Rails

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency will ensure that bed rails with more than 120mm between the rails will no longer be used in the NHS and in care homes; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)'s role is to provide guidance to the National Health Service and care providers regarding safety and best practice of medical devices and healthcare products. NHS trusts and care homes have a responsibility to act upon MHRA advice and ensure that with reference to the MHRA Medical Device Alert MDA 2004/007, they do not have beds with twin bar rails as described either in use or in storage.Within the social and independent care sectors, the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) is currently responsible to ensure that operators act upon MHRA's advice, where relevant, during their routine inspections of these establishments. This role will be taken over by the Commission for Social Care Inspection in April 2004.

Body Mass Index

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he list the average body mass index in (a) England, (b) each region and (c) each strategic health authority in 2002.

Melanie Johnson: Figures for average body mass index for adults and children in England and by region for 2002 are available from the Health Survey for England and are shown in the table. Figures by strategic health authority are not available.
	
		Mean body mass index (BMI) by Government Office Region and Sex  -- All with a valid height and weight measurement 2002Percentage
		
			  Government Office Regions 
			 BMI (kg/m2) North East North West Yorks and The Humber West Midlands East Midlands East of England London South East South West England 
		
		
			 Men aged 16+ 27.7 26.9 27.3 27.4 27.3 27.2 25.9 26.8 26.6 26.9 
			 Women aged 16+ 26.8 26.8 26.7 27.4 27.3 27.3 26.6 26.2 26,0 26.7 
			 Boys aged 0–15(1) 18.8 18.0 17.6 18.3 18.2 17.9 18.2 18.0 18.0 18.1 
			 Girls aged 0–15(1) 19.0 18.8 18.3 18.6 18.6 18.1 18.7 18.3 18.0 18.5 
			 Bases   
			 Men 170 462 331 263 291 343 337 466 306 2,969 
			 Women 222 505 387 355 344 330 411 564 337 3,509 
			 Boys 225 568 437 353 372 415 475 638 355 3,868 
			 Girls 223 536 390 398 316 428 487 619 378 3,776 
		
	
	(1) Age rounded to the nearest integer.
	Source:
	Health Survey for England, Department of Health.

Breast Feeding

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are being taken to promote guidance on, and the benefits of breast feeding to new mothers in the hospital setting.

Melanie Johnson: The NHS Priorities and Planning Framework target to increase breastfeeding initiation rates by two percentage points a year between 2003 and 2006, focussing on disadvantaged groups, supported by the Commission for Health Improvement's Infant Health Indicator, will encourage primary care trusts and their maternity services to promote breastfeeding in the hospital setting.
	The Department provides advice and guidance on breastfeeding and related issues to mothers and health professionals through a variety of publications. In addition, the Department will be providing advice and guidance, drawing from existing best practice, to health professionals as part of this year's National Breastfeeding Awareness Week between 9 and 15 May.

Cancer Treatment

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to publish information on waiting times for treatment of cancers not covered by NHS Cancer Plan targets before 2005;
	(2)  what progress has been made towards meeting the targets for cancer treatment in the NHS Cancer Plan.

Melanie Johnson: The primary purpose of the NHS Cancer Plan is to save more lives. Reducing waiting times is key to achieving this. The ultimate goal in the NHS Cancer Plan is to offer patients a maximum one month wait from an urgent referral for suspected cancer to the beginning of treatment. Where patients wait longer, this should be because of the needs of the diagnostic process or their personal choice, not because of in-built delays in the system of care. We hope to achieve this goal by 2008.
	Current waiting times targets are milestones towards this. Data on achievement of current targets from urgent general practitioner referral to treatment for acute leukaemia, children's and testicular cancers and breast cancer and from diagnosis to treatment for breast cancer, are published quarterly on the Department's website for strategic health authorities and trusts, at: http://www.performance.doh.gov.uk/cancerwaits. Data on achievement of future cancer plan waiting times targets of one month from diagnosis to treatment and two months from urgent general practitioner referral to treatment for all cancers will be published once these targets have been implemented in 2005.

Cancer Treatment

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the incidence of melanoma by (a) age group and (b) strategic health authority.

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from John Pullinger to Mrs. Calton, dated 5 March 2004
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2000. The numbers and rates of newly diagnosed cases of melanoma of the skin by age group are published in 'Cancer statistics: registrations, England 2000. Series MB1 no.31. London: The Stationery Office, 2003' on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=8843&Pos=4&ColRank=l&Rank=240 This publication shows that 17 per cent. of melanoma cases occurred in young adults (15–39 years) compared with 4 per cent. of all cancers.
	Directly age standardised registration rates of newly diagnosed cases of-malignant melanoma of the skin 2 in England by strategic health authority for 2000 are given in the table.
	
		Directly age standardised(2) rates per 100,000 population of newly diagnosed cases of malignant melanoma of the skin(3) in England, by strategic health authority, 2000
		
			 Strategic health authority Males Females 
		
		
			 England 9.7 11.2 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 10.8 11.4 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 9.3 10.0 
			 Essex 9.6 13.5 
			 North West London 6.6 5.5 
			 North Central London 15.1 15.1 
			 North East London 7.2 4.4 
			 South East London 8.3 8.8 
			 South West London 10.0 12.7 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 6.4 8.9 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 9.3 10.9 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 4.3 7.2 
			 West Yorkshire 7.8 9.5 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 11.3 11.2 
			 Greater Manchester 8.1 11.0 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 7.5 13.9 
			 Thames Valley 14.8 17.1 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 12.2 15.7 
			 Kent and Medway 8.4 7.8 
			 Surrey and Sussex 10.0 13.8 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 11.7 13.1 
			 South West Peninsula 17.7 15.8 
			 Dorset and Somerset 15.2 17.2 
			 South Yorkshire 6.9 8.3 
			 Trent 8.6 9.5 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 9.9 11.3 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 7.0 9.3 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 7.5 8.7 
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire 11.1 10.3 
		
	
	(2) Using the European standard population
	(3) International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C43.
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics

Capital Projects

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  for what reasons he imposed a retrospective cut-off date for approvals for local capital projects proposed by primary care trusts;
	(2)  how many primary care trusts have informed his Department of the possible cancellation of local capital projects as a result of (a) the decision to change the method of funding allocations and (b) the imposition of a retrospective cut-off date.

John Hutton: Significant new revenue funding will be made available to support public and private capital investment in the primary care estate, based on local prioritisation of development proposals. Baseline allocations for 2004–05 have been notified to all primary care trusts, and these take account of new developments contractually agreed by 30 September 2003. This date was set to allow sufficient time for robust baselines to be established and notified to PCTs. An additional element of growth funding to support prioritised developments contractually agreed after that date will be allocated to lead-PCTs.
	We are not aware that any schemes have been cancelled at this time.

Chiropody Statistics

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out for (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority the KT23 statistics for each year since 1996.

Stephen Ladyman: The available information is published in NHS Chiropody Services, Summary Information for 2002–03, England and is available in the Library and at http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/kt230203. The tables show England figures for 1996–97 to 2002–03 and strategic health authority (SHA) figures for 2002–03; SHAs came into existence in April 2002 and comparable data for earlier years are not readily available due to service reconfigurations.
	
		Chiropody contacts, England, 1996–97 to 2002–03 -- EnglandThousand
		
			  Initial contacts (new episodesof care) First contacts (different persons receiving care) Total face-to-face contacts(4) 
		
		
			 1996–97 966 2,447 8,352 
			 1997–98 927 2,419 8,305 
			 1998–99 878 2,362 8,054 
			 1999–2000 853 2,317 7,895 
			 2000–01 837 2,264  
			 2001–02 837 2,216  
			 2002–03 826 2,161  
		
	
	(4) The collection of data about total face-to-face contacts was discontinued from 1 April 2000
	Source:
	Form KT23
	
		Chiropody contacts by strategic health authority, 2002–03 -- Thousand
		
			 Strategic health authority Initial contacts (new episodes of care) First contacts (different persons receiving care) 
		
		
			  
			  
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 15.8 51.7 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 22.7 79.7 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 51.6 117.9 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 35.7 110.5 
			 Greater Manchester 59.1 172.8 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 23.4 83.1 
			 South Yorkshire 24.6 77.2 
			 West Yorkshire 33.8 126.9 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 33.8 53.1 
			 Trent 43.9 112.8 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 62.2 125.3 
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Hereford and Worcesters 21.1 72.5 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 22.7 82.4 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 15.3 49.1 
			 Essex 14.4 42.3 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 27.4 81.4 
			 North Central London 17.2 43.1 
			 North East London 27.4 46.9 
			 North West London 22.4 64.7 
			 South East London 34.9 61.1 
			 South West London 17.1 50.4 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 22.1 48.4 
			 Kent and Medway 23.3 58.7 
			 Surrey and Sussex 30.8 84.0 
			 Thames Valley 23.9 56.2 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 41.7 89.0 
			 Dorset and Somerset 23.6 38.8 
			 South West Peninsula 34.1 81.5 
		
	
	Source:
	Form KT23

Cholesterol

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the prevalence of raised blood cholesterol in (a) men and (b) women in each region; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: Figures available from the Health Survey for England 1998 are shown in the table. In this survey, cholesterol was considered to be raised at a level of 6.5 mmol/l or over.
	
		Prevalence of raised cholesterol by Government Office Region and sex—Adults 16+ with a valid sample -- Raised cholesterol (percentage >=6.5 mmol/l)1998
		
			 Government OfficeRegions Men (percentage) Women (percentage) Men (bases) Women (bases) 
		
		
			 North East 27.1 28.5 288 337 
			 North West 16.9 20.7 669 720 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 17.9 22.5 531 591 
			 West Midlands 20.3 23.8 492 589 
			 East Midlands 14.8 21.7 453 483 
			 East England 16.2 21.8 537 577 
			 London 16.7 17.4 527 614 
			 South East 19.6 24.2 810 945 
			 South West 16.5 22.4 539 572 
		
	
	Source:
	Health Survey for England , Department of Health
	The quality indicators for the new general medical services contract include cholesterol management for patients with coronary heart disease. This will reinforce general practitioners' current work to deliver the quality standards set out in the national service framework for coronary heart disease, which are driving the present trend in increasing statin prescriptions.

Continuing Care Criteria

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to evaluate the continuing care criteria sent to his Department by strategic health authorities.

Stephen Ladyman: There are no plans to hold a centrally conducted evaluation of the fully funded National Health Service continuing care eligibility criteria of each strategic health authority (SHA). It is the responsibility of each SHA to be satisfied that its criteria meet the legal requirements.

Detoxification Beds

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many detoxification beds for treatment as an inpatient are available in England and Wales.

Melanie Johnson: The Department does not have data on the number of detoxification beds that are available for treatment as an in-patient in England.
	However, it is estimated that there are 157 in-patient services in England with detoxification beds.
	The number in Wales is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

Fall-Related Injuries

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) attendances at accident and emergency and (b) admissions to hospital for fall-related injuries in people aged 60 years and over there have been in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: Centrally-held data on attendances at accident and emergency departments do not contain sufficient details to identify those who attended because of a fall. The number of people aged 60 and over who were admitted to national health service hospitals in England as a result of a fall is recorded in the Hospital Episode Statistics count of Finished Admission Episodes. The figures are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Finished Admission Episodes (falls over 60) 
		
		
			 1997–98 127,665 
			 1998–99 127,817 
			 1999–2000 118,567 
			 2001–02 115,373 
			 2002–03 120,356 
		
	
	Note:
	A finished admission episode is the period of impatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Total episodes are only an approximation of the total number of in-patients, as a patient may have more than one admission in a year. Figures are adjusted to compensate for both coverage and missing or invalid clinical data, except for 2001–02 and 2002–03, which are not yet adjusted in this way.

Fossetts Farm Treatment Centre

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether planning permission has been granted for the proposed treatment centre at Fossetts Farm, Southend-on-Sea.

John Hutton: A planning application was logged with the landowners of the proposed site for the treatment centre at Fossetts Farm on 12 December 2003. This application will be reviewed by the local authority's planning committee.

General Practitioners

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patient visits to general practitioners he estimates there were in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

John Hutton: The most recent data show that there were an estimated 217 million consultations with general practitioners in England between April 2000 and March 2001, the most recent year for which figures are available.

HIV/AIDS

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of drugs used for treating patients who are HIV positive; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: Combination anti-retroviral drug therapies have proved very effective for the majority of people with HIV, in reducing the severity of symptoms and prolonging quality of life.
	The British HIV Association (BHIVA), the members of which include the majority of leading HIV/AIDS clinicians, has developed a detailed set of guidelines for the use and monitoring of combination anti-retroviral drugs, and the regimens recommended by BHIVA are widely, accepted by the national health service. The guidelines, and their use by the NHS, are audited annually.

HIV/AIDS

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of (a) testing for HIV/AIDS and (b) treating HIV/AIDS patients in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Melanie Johnson: Information on the cost to the National Health Service of HIV and AIDS testing and treatment is not held centrally.
	The sums allocated by the Department to the NHS for HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment and care in England since 1 993–94 are shown in the table. From April 2002, the special allocations for HIV prevention, treatment and care were added to NHS baseline funding according to the target distribution of HIV across England, and are no longer separately identified.
	
		£ million
		
			 Year NHS allocation 
		
		
			 1 993–94 214.4 
			 1 994–95 214.0 
			 1995–96 244.7 
			 1996–97 237.7 
			 1997–98 251.9 
			 1 998–99 281.4 
			 1999–2000 286.4 
			 2000–01 289.4 
			 2001–02 331.0

Hospices

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the savings to the NHS from (a) adults and (b) children using hospice services instead of hospital services.

Melanie Johnson: No such estimates have been made.

Hospital Waiting Lists

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospitals have closed lists for treatment.

John Hutton: The Department does not collect this information from national health service trusts.
	Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for commissioning sufficient activity from NHS trusts and other providers to meet the needs of their local population. The levels of activity required from NHS trusts should be specified in service agreements (SAs) and will represent a ceiling to the trusts' contractual obligations.
	Where there are no SAs in place or the activity levels specified in a SA have already been met by the trust, the PCT are responsible for commissioning additional activity to meet the needs of their patients.
	HSC 2002/007 (Securing Service Delivery: Commissioning Freedoms of Primary Care Trusts) and HSC 1998/198 (Commissioning in the new NHS), copies of which are in the Library, provide further information.

Hospital-acquired Infection

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the incidence of hospital-acquired infection among women using maternity services; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: National information on the incidence of hospital-acquired infections amongst women using maternity services is not available. Options for collecting surveillance data are being kept under review and implementation of the Chief Medical Officer's report, "Winning Ways Working together to reduce Healthcare Associated Infection in England", will help reduce infection rates.

Mental Health

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people suffer dementia in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley; and how many are (i) under and (ii) over 65 years of age.

Melanie Johnson: There is no routine collection of information at national or local level about the number of people living with dementia. The research quoted by the older people's national service framework in 2001 estimated that approximately 600,000 people in the United Kingdom have dementia of whom there are about 17,000 people under the age of 65.

Mumps Vaccine

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what restrictions are in place on the import of mumps vaccine; and what volumes of vaccine have been imported in each month since January 2003.

Melanie Johnson: Single mumps vaccines are unlicensed imported medicines. The importers of which are required to be licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Every importer must notify the MHRA on each occasion they intend importing an unlicensed medicine and there is a legal restriction on the maximum quantity they may import per notification (a maximum of 25 single administrations). This applies to all imported unlicensed medicines. Each notification is an intention to import and does not necessarily reflect the number of doses actually imported or used. The information on the actual number of doses imported is not held by the MHRA.

National School Fruit Scheme

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which schools in the Manchester, Gorton constituency will benefit from the free fruit scheme.

Melanie Johnson: The following 24 schools in Gorton are receiving fruit under the National School Fruit Scheme:
	Abbey Hey Infant School
	Acacias Primary School
	All Saints Primary School
	Alma Park Primary School
	Aspinal Primary School
	Birchfields Primary School
	Chapel Street Primary School
	Crowcroft Park Primary School
	Gorton Brook School
	Gorton Mount Primary School
	Old Hall Drive Primary School
	Richmond Park School
	Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Infant School Manchester
	St Andrew's CofE Primary School
	St Francis RC Primary School
	St James' CofE Primary School
	St John's CofE Primary School
	St Joseph's RC Primary School Manchester
	St Kentigern's Catholic Primary School
	St Luke's CofE Primary School
	St Mary's RC Primary School Manchester
	St Richard's RC Primary School
	Stanley Grove Community Primary School
	Wilbraham Primary School

National School Fruit Scheme

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the timetable is for extending the National School Fruit Scheme to all regions in England;
	(2)  when he will extend the National School Fruit Scheme to the South West Region.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 1 March 2004
	The National School Fruit Scheme will entitle children aged four to six in local education authority maintained infant, primary and special schools to a free piece of fruit every school day. The scheme is already in operation in the West and East Midlands, London and the North West. Most eligible schools in the North East will join the scheme in March 2004 and the remainder in April. Schools in the remaining four regions will join the scheme during the autumn term 2004.

New Hospitals

Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) value and (b) number of all new hospitals built in each of the regions of England is in the last five years for which records are available.

John Hutton: The following table lists the new hospital schemes (all private finance initiative and public capital funded schemes over £10 million) which have opened within the last five years (since March 1999) and the strategic health authority (SHA) within which they are sited. 28 SHAs replaced the eight national health service executive regional offices in 2002).
	
		
			 Strategic health authority Scheme (NHS hospital/Trust) Value (£ million) 
		
		
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Royal United Hospital Bath redevelopment 35 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire United Bristol Hospital for Sick Children 19 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust 100 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust 15 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Royston, Buntingford and Bishop Stortford PCT 15 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health 18 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust 13 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust—North Durham 61 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust—Bishop Auckland 48 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 122 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals—Chester-le-Street 10 
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust 64 
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 87 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire Blackpool Victoria Hospital—Phase 5 27 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire North Cumbria Acute Hospitals (Cumberland Infirmary) 67 
			 Essex Basildon and Thurrock 21 
			 Greater Manchester South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust 67 
			 Greater Manchester Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust 24 
			 Greater Manchester Fairfield General—Bury 20 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Southampton General Hospital—Cancer Care Unit 17 
			 Kent and Medway Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust 94 
			 Kent and Medway Swale PCT 14 
			 Kent and Medway Medway DGH Development 51 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Norfolk and Norwich NHS Trust 158 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 22 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Harrogate Healthcare NHS Trust 27 
			 North Central London Camden and Islington Mental Health and Social Care Trust (MH unit) 21 
			 North Central London Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 54 
			 North East London North East London Mental Health NHS Trust 11 
			 North East London East London and The City Mental Health NHS Trust (Newham) 15 
			 North East London Homerton Hospital Acute Services 16 
			 North West London West London Mental Health NHS Trust 12 
			 North West London Bromley Healthcare NHS Trust 118 
			 North West London West Middlesex University Hospitals NHS Trust 60 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust (Wansbeck) 18 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust (Hexham) 29 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear City Hospitals Sunderland 15 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust 28 
			 South East London Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust (Greenwich) 96 
			 South East London King's Healthcare NHS Trust 76 
			 South East London Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup 15 
			 South East London Oxleas 11 
			 South West London St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust 46 
			 South West Peninsula Cornwall Partnership NHS Trust (Bodmin) 10 
			 South Yorkshire Central Sheffield University Hospitals Stonegrove) 24 
			 South Yorkshire Central Sheffield University Hospitals (Cardiothoracic Unit) 15 
			 Surrey and Sussex West Sussex Health and Social Care 22 
			 Surrey and Sussex Guildford and Waverley PCT (Farnham) 29 
			 Surrey and Sussex Royal Sussex County Hospital 40 
			 Thames Valley Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust 45 
			 Thames Valley Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust 30 
			 Thames Valley Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospital NHS Trust 84 
			 Trent Queens Medical Centre—Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust 17 
			 West Yorkshire Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust 65 
			 West Yorkshire Leeds Community and Mental Health Services Teaching NHS Trust 47

NHS Dentists

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made with recruitment of NHS dentists in Morecambe and Lunesdale.

Melanie Johnson: From April 2005, primary care trusts will have a duty to secure the provision of primary dental services. With these new responsibilities will go the £1.3 billion financial resources currently held centrally. PCTs will in future be able to use these resources to meet local oral health needs.
	Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority reports that Morecambe Bay PCT is currently recruiting dentists to work in the dental access centres and other national health service premises in Morecambe Bay.

NHS Dentists

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there were in each year since 1997 in (a) Lancashire and (b) Ribble Valley and Fulwood.

Melanie Johnson: The information in the table shows the number of National Health Service dentists on a head count basis for the four former health authorities in Lancashire and for East Lancashire Health Authority, which covers Ribble Valley and Fulwood. The figures are at September each year from 1997 to 2001 and for Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority for September 2002.
	Information for September 2003 is not yet available.
	
		National Health Service—Number of dentists(5) September each year
		
			 Health Authority 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			  
			  
			 Lancashire(6) 617 649 649 639 671 - 
			 Ribble Valley and Fulwood(7) 190 201 195 200 210 - 
		
	
	Notes:
	(5) NHS dentists include dentists working in the General Dental Service (GDS), Hospital Dental Service (HDS), Community Dental Service (CDS), Personal Dental Service (PDS) and Salaried Dentists in the GDS. Dentist working in more than one dental service are included in each service apart from dentists working in both PDS and GDS who are counted in the GDS only.
	(6) The four former health authorities in Lancashire: Morecambe Bay, North West Lancashire, East Lancashire and South Lancashire.
	(7) ast Lancashire Health Authority.

NHS Property

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what tenders are being considered for the disposal of NHS property.

John Hutton: Commercially confidential discussions are still taking place and an announcement will be made shortly.

Paediatric and Adolescent Obesity

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes there were for (a) paediatric and (b) adolescent obesity treatment in (i) England and (ii) each strategic health authority in each year since 1996.

Melanie Johnson: The numbers of finished consultant episodes by age group in national healthservice hospitals in England, where the primary diagnosis is obesity, are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Paediatrics (1–12 years) Adolescents (13–19 years) Other (neonates, 20+ years) Grand total 
		
		
			 1996–97 105 49 692 846 
			 1997–98 118 55 654 827 
			 1998–99 159 66 863 1,088 
			 1999–2000 153 80 866 1,099 
			 2000–01 173 77 962 1,212 
			 2001–02 181 89 878 1,148 
			 2002–03 239 202 1,001 1,442 
		
	
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.

Physical Fitness

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures have been taken to promote (a) physical fitness and (b) healthy eating among the elderly.

Melanie Johnson: Older people are at increased risk of a range of lifestyle-related diseases and conditions. Increased levels of physical activity and healthy eating are particularly valuable in maintaining independent living.
	Accordingly, the national service framework for older people requires joint action between the National Health Service and councils to ensure that older people have fair access to advice about lifestyle including nutrition and physical activity.
	The Department, in partnership with the Countryside Agency and Sport England, is launching 10 local exercise action pilots, that will test the effectiveness of different community approaches to increasing levels of physical activity. Five pilots have a community-wide approach and the remainder target specific populations, including younger and older people.
	The Department is leading the development of a comprehensive food and health action plan, working across Government and with the food industry to establish a coherent and effective programme of activities on nutrition in order to achieve a healthier diet for people in England. The plan will address healthy eating at all stages of life, including older people. Meanwhile, the Food Standards Agency promotes healthy eating for older people with its Eating in Later Life leaflet and relevant content on its website.

Primary Care Trusts

Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ratio is of general practitioners per 1,000 population in each English primary care trust.

John Hutton: The latest figures available for unrestricted principals and equivalents per 1,000 population in England on a primary care trust (PCT) level is for September 2002. This information has been placed in the Library.

Pulmonary Disease

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines on the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary and secondary care; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps he will take following the recommendations by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to ensure that all patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have access to a multidisciplinary healthcare team;
	(3)  whether, following the recommendations by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, he will make it a priority for all hospitals and general practitioner surgeries to have access to non-invasive ventilation for the treatment of people with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
	(4)  whether, following the recommendations by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, he will make it a priority for all hospitals and general practitioner surgeries to have access to (a) a spirometer and (b) adequate training in the use of spirometry;
	(5)  if, following the recommendations by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, he will provide funding for pulmonary rehabilitation courses to run in every hospital for all patients who consider themselves functionally disabled by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answers 1 March 2004
	The National Institute for Clinical Excellence's guidance on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in primary and secondary care has not yet been published. It would be inappropriate to make a statement until the publication of the NICE'S formal guidance on COPD.
	Primary care trusts, in partnership with local stakeholders, have the responsibility for deciding what services to provide for their populations, including those with respiratory disease. They are best placed to understand local health needs and commission services to meet them.

Sexual Health and HIV

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria were used in appointing members of the Independent Advisory Group on sexual health and HIV.

Melanie Johnson: The chair and members of the Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV were appointed following an open competition and interview process in accordance with the Guidance on Appointments to Public Bodies, issued by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The committee has specific posts to ensure a wide range of expertise is represented across sexual health. The qualities, experience and skills criteria were made available for the specific and generic requirements for these posts. All applicants were assessed against these criteria. Members have been appointed for a period of four years and are required to subscribe to the code of best practice for board members of public bodies.

Sexual Health and HIV

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the recommendation of the Independent Advisory Group on sexual health and HIV that the right of parents to opt their child out of sex and relationship education and personal, social and health education on any grounds including those of faith or religion should be explicitly ended.

Melanie Johnson: Formal sex and relationship education is taught through compulsory science lessons and during personal/social and health education (PSHE). Parents and carers have the right to withdraw their child from some, or all, PSHE lessons, but not statutory science lessons. If a parent decides to exercise this right, then the school should provide information about the lessons being missed and ideas for other sources of support for them to fulfil the task of educating their child. We have no plans to remove this right.

Smoking Clinics

Tony Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many smoking clinics are run by the NHS in England, broken down by health authority; and how many have been guaranteed funding for the next three years.

Melanie Johnson: We do not collect this information centrally. All primary care trusts have received funding for the three years 2003–04 to 2005–06 to commission stop smoking services to meet the needs of their populations. The services may be in the form of a clinic or on a one-to-one basis, depending on local circumstances.

Tuberculosis

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to improve levels of immunity to tuberculosis in London.

Melanie Johnson: A London-wide tuberculosis group has been established to take forward specific areas of work such as refocusing the way in which TB services are organised.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Communications

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff are employed in the Department to work in the communications field, broken down by (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others.

Richard Caborn: 18 members of DCMS staff work in the communications field, of which 14 are Government Information and Communication Service staff. Of these 18 members of staff, 10 are press officers; none are special advisers; and eight others work on publicity, internal communications and administration.

Digital Television

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when Freeview digital television services will be available throughout the (a) Benfleet, (b) Hadleigh and (c) Canvey Island areas.

Estelle Morris: Ofcom inform us that most postcodes in Benfleet, Hadleigh and Canvey Island can currently receive Freeview digital television services from the Bluebell Hill transmitter. However many households in these areas will not be tuned into this transmitter as it is located in a different ITV region.
	Other transmitters in the area do not emit sufficient power to offer a full range of services and in order to protect existing analogue services against interference, the signal strength cannot be increased until digital switchover.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that all households who can currently receive analogue signals will be able to receive digital television when switchover takes place.
	Viewers in Essex wishing to view all of the Freeview digital services are advised to check their postcode on the Digital Television Group's website: www.dtg.org.uk http://www.dtg.org.uk and if necessary, contact a reputable aerial installer about carrying out an aerial check. We suggest they contact the Confederation of Aerial Industries Ltd. (CAI) at Fulton House Business Centre, Fulton Road, Wembley Park, Middlesex HA9 0TF, telephone: 020 8902 8998.

Environmentally Sustainable Procurement

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in what ways environmentally sustainable procurement strategies within the Department have driven innovation in the design and supply of products.

Estelle Morris: Copies of the Department's recently published sustainable development strategy are available in the Libraries of both Houses. Objective 2 of the strategy (sustainable estate management) highlights the fact that DCMS is the first Government Department to commission and purchase significant quantities of wood furniture from fully certified and accredited sources. We intend to encourage suppliers and contractors to develop environmentally preferable goods and services at competitive prices. Furthermore, the Department has supported innovation in this area via the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts, (NESTA), a Non Departmental Public Body. Last year NESTA made an award of £90,500 to a firm in Surrey which has developed a technology which produces a high quality paper pulp from straw. The technique uses only half the energy and fewer chemicals than traditional systems, with no harmful environmental effects.

Local Government Finance (Dorset)

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what grants were awarded to local authorities in Dorset by her Department in financial year 2003–04 that fall outside the revenue support grant.

Richard Caborn: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local and Regional Government on 1 March 2004, Official Report, column 750W.

National Lottery

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of the National Lottery budget assigned for good causes was awarded to organisations in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each year since its introduction.

Estelle Morris: The table shows what percentage of funding each area received. This is derived from the Department's database of lottery awards, which is based on information supplied by the distributing bodies.
	
		Percentage
		
			 Area 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 England 54.84 73.27 57.39 76 77.45 75.89 72.35 71.78 65.88 60.08 
			 Scotland 38.23 9.69 9.33 10.05 8.76 7.62 7.29 9.67 9.73 11.95 
			 Wales 6.93 8.9 2.54 5.83 5.31 5.18 4.58 4.19 5.34 5.25 
			 N. Ireland 0 1.91 2.14 5.03 4.2 3.38 2.92 2.46 2.63 4.24 
			 E&W Wide 0 2.19 0 0.07 0 0.07 0.01 0.2 0.24 0 
			 GB Wide 0 0 0.26 0.15 0 0.12 1.24 1.52 1.04 0.05 
			 UK Wide 0 4.03 28.34 1.43 2.27 5.69 9.76 8.88 15.13 16.53 
			 Overseas 0 0 0 1.42 2 2.05 1.84 1.32 0.03 1.89 
		
	
	Note:
	Due to the numbers being rounded up or down, the figures do not all total 100 per cent.
	There are geographical areas that can benefit from a Lottery grant other than the four home countries. This can be because grants have varying catchment areas, or because the grant is a sum of money to be split up and spread out among different areas. For this reason, the figures also included the percentage of funding that has gone to projects that benefit England and Wales, Great Britain, the UK and overseas awards.

National Lottery

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding (a) each London borough and (b) Greater London has received from National Lottery grants in each of the last five years.

Estelle Morris: Total Lottery funding in each London borough in each of the last five financial years is shown in this table. This is derived from the Department's database of Lottery awards, which is based on information supplied by the distributing bodies.
	
		£
		
			 Local authority 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 469,308 1,485,035 2,529,678 6,121,716 5,184,729 1,334,461 
			 Barnet 1,175,475 2,975,110 8,475,858 2,906,594 3,882,671 1,925,773 
			 Bexley 1,931,626 1,778,793 1,728,772 665,194 4,253,173 946,967 
			 Brent 121,200,888 2,853,951 4,024,574 5,395,151 3,645,109 3,842,136 
			 Bromley 844,326 2,379,723 2,300,517 2,605,428 2,724,595 1,513,238 
			 Camden 19,537,974 37,709,775 23,681,353 51,529,112 21,422,579 21,034,560 
			 City of London 1,935,078 2,914,705 5,761,512 3,374,719 1,651,161 1,430,515 
			 Croydon 1,964,838 3,319,896 5,014,219 6,549,306 3,142,804 3,221,223 
			 Ealing 1,577,973 5,360,681 5,598,913 3,546,604 7,007,714 3,682,288 
			 Enfield 3,762,435 3,785,182 1,831,134 10,460,552 3,255,488 2,625,047 
			 Greenwich 2,434,543 4,969,604 16,302,809 12,246,442 3,909,044 2,405,364 
			 Hackney 6,912,320 7,302,480 22,025,317 11,478,916 17,447,403 10,415,418 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,330,738 10,625,730 15,687,352 7,572,235 5,890,930 3,362,466 
			 Haringey 2,319,390 3,905,161 2,822,782 10,865,252 5,022,267 2,026,112 
			 Harrow 485,563 1,357,672 1,783,862 1,310, 743 2,258,267 1,434,838 
			 Havering 803,841 5,538,320 1,017,088 771,173 1,680,207 916,697 
			 Hillingdon 594,135 1,452,121 973,776 1,337,821 3,165,316 1,571,596 
			 Hounslow 2,286,927 4,571,398 5,685,459 3,193,280 3,606,448 1,431,315 
			 Islington 30,873,957 23,913,535 27,728,485 28,824,352 18,082,146 51,283,882 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 21,071,813 15,689,951 7,256,393 6,541,805 6,578,635 3,911,430 
			 Kingston upon Thames 422,389 1,905,549 2,083,526 1,848,159 1,643,908 1,377,827 
			 Lambeth 5,162,825 11,691,490 13,853,191 20,163,002 149,383,813 6,817,660 
			 Lewisham 16,220,184 15,287,386 3,308,141 8,997,447 7,779,030 2,380,863 
			 Merton 955,981 1,632,293 1,830,280 1,232,715 1,747,379 1,651,786 
			 Newham 17,696,774 10,011,593 5,407,076 17,524,922 7,933,918 3,066,497 
			 Redbridge 1,257,327 2,022,117 625,463 3,122,521 3,171,224 767,412 
			 Richmond upon Thames 5,632,982 1,767,485 2,600,616 4,331,580 1,802,190 1,186,584 
			 Southwark 8,981,124 16,598,903 11,618,644 10,770,339 10,138,537 7,674,110 
			 Sutton 334,159 2,431,828 1,089,165 6,066,282 2,130,331 1,307,860 
			 Tower Hamlets 6,641,593 9,865,903 16,142,138 17,295,279 9,711,198 7,787,243 
			 Waltham Forest 5,720,691 2,424,769 3,109,610 4,101,213 3,451,887 6,450,293 
			 Wandsworth 1,792,634 8,200,561 9,720,629 4,696,945 3,762,431 5,817,596 
			 Westminster 46,070,025 37,750,860 51,209,137 76,283,217 54,919,947 28,249,215 
			 Greater London: Total of above boroughs: 342,401,836 265,479,560 284,827,469 353,730,016 381,386,479 194,850,272

National Television Licensing Authority

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will instruct the National Television Licensing Authority to (a) assess the compatibility with data protection legislation of its statement in the current advertising campaign that its database lists every home without a television licence and (b) report that assessment to her.

Tessa Jowell: The BBC is the statutory Licensing Authority and the Government have no power to instruct the Corporation on matters relating to the administration of the television licensing system. However, the BBC has confirmed that, as data controller for the TV licensing database, it requires its agent, TV Licensing, to comply fully with data protection legislation and to undertake regular reviews to ensure continued compliance. The BBC does not believe that the information held by TV Licensing on unlicensed addresses contravenes data protection legislation.

National Television Licensing Authority

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will instruct the National Television Licensing Authority (a) not to undertake any advertising campaign that could be construed as containing threats or menaces and (b) to abandon forthwith the poster campaign using the statement Get One, or Get Done.

Tessa Jowell: The BBC is the statutory Licensing Authority and the Government have no power to instruct the Corporation on matters relating to the administration of the television licensing system. However, the BBC has indicated that all television licensing campaigns undergo a series of legal compliance checks before they are approved by the Corporation and are placed in the public domain.

Recruitment (Civil Servants)

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the cost of recruitment of civil servants for the Department was in each financial year since 1996–97, broken down by (a) delegated or contracted out recruitment procedures and (b) recruitment procedures carried out by the Department.

Richard Caborn: The cost of recruitment of civil servants to the department for Culture, Media and Sport for the financial years 2002–03 and 2003–04 to date are shown in the table. Equivalent information for earlier years is no longer available.
	
		£
		
			 Recruitment 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Contracted out 41,700 33,153 
			 In-house 72,331 30,616 
			 Total 114,031 63,769

Rugby Super League

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when a Minister in her Department last watched a Rugby Super League match as part of his or her official duties; where it was; and between which teams.

Richard Caborn: I attended the Warrington Wolves versus Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Rugby Super League Game on Saturday 21 February where I officially opened Warrington's superb new Halliwell Jones Stadium and witnessed a thrilling win for the Wolves.

Temporary Staff

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff the Department employs on a temporary basis through employment agencies; what percentage this is of total staff employed; and how much the Department paid employment agencies to supply temporary staff in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03 and (c) 2003–04 to the most recent date for which figures are available.

Richard Caborn: The Department for Culture Media and Sport currently employs 22 temporary staff through an employment agency. This is 4.5 per cent. of the current total staff currently employed by the department.
	The cost of temporary workers for the last three financial years is shown as follows:
	2001–02: £290,736.
	2002–03: £338,366.
	2003–04: £387,740 (estimated for full financial year).

HOME DEPARTMENT

Information Technology (Misuse)

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Home Office staff have been (a) disciplined and (b) dismissed for misusing IT hardware or software in the last two years.

Fiona Mactaggart: The figures, so far as information is available in the form requested, are as follows:
	
		
			 Department/Staff 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Home Office   
			 Disciplined 80 23 
			 Dismissed 5 5 
			
			 Prison Service Agency   
			 Disciplined 2 6 
			 Dismissed 1 0 
			
			 UK Passport Agency   
			 Disciplined (8)— 15 
			 Dismissed 0 0 
			
			 Forensic Science Service   
			 Disciplined 5 1 
			 Dismissed 0 0 
		
	
	(8) Indicates that no comprehensive figures available.

Recruitment Advertising

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's expenditure on recruitment advertising was in each of the last three years, broken down by publication; and what proportion of such expenditure was (a) to advertise vacant posts and (b) in the form of other general recruitment advertising.

Fiona Mactaggart: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer on 11 February 2004, Official Report, column 1511W.
	The expenditure detailed in my previous answer reflects the costs of advertising vacant or new posts in both the central Home Office and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. Costs for advertising general recruitment schemes for the Immigration and Nationality Directorate are also included in the total. To provide separate details of the costs of such schemes could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Recruitment Advertising

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has spent on recruitment advertising in each year since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer on 11 February 2004, Official Report, column 1511W. Figures for the years 1997–1999 are not available.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Manufacturing Employment

David Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were employed in the manufacturing sector in Northern Ireland during the last five years, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Ian Pearson: Estimates of the number of employee jobs below Northern Ireland level are available only from the biennial Census of Employment and the most up to date figures relate to September 2001.
	Estimates of manufacturing jobs for each parliamentary constituency area from the last three Censuses of Employment can be found in the table.
	
		Northern Ireland employee jobs in the manufacturing sector by parliamentary constituency area
		
			 Parliamentaryconstituency area September 1997 September 1999 September 2001 
		
		
			 Belfast East 9,689 9,506 9,537 
			 Belfast North 5,228 4,617 4,377 
			 Belfast South 3,279 2,767 2,819 
			 Belfast West 2,546 2,785 2,801 
			 East Antrim 5,085 4,925 4,883 
			 East Londonderry 5,748 5,964 5,276 
			 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 7,304 7,541 7,103 
			 Foyle 9,015 7,987 6,640 
			 Lagan Valley 6,040 6,488 7,322 
			 Mid-Ulster 5,682 6,052 6,418 
			 Newry and Armagh 4,163 4,075 3,958 
			 North Antrim 8,151 8,160 7,201 
			 North Down 3,073 2,809 2,399 
			 South Antrim 6,706 6,591 6,505 
			 South Down 3,496 3,551 3,268 
			 Strangford 5,243 4,916 4,624 
			 Upper Bann 12,583 12,193 10,494 
			 West Tyrone 4,893 4,883 4,561 
			 Northern Ireland 107,924 105,810 100,186 
		
	
	Source:
	NI Census of Employment

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Buildings (Aerodynamically Generated Wind Noise)

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what standards relating to (a) noise and (b) other factors regulate aerodynamically generated wind noise from (i) very tall and (ii) massive building structures in built-up areas; and what plans she has to re-examine such standards.

Keith Hill: I have been asked to reply.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not set any standards relating to noise or other factors to regulate aerodynamically generated wind noise from very tall or massive building structures in built-up areas.

Business Link

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the reasons are for (a) regional and sub-regional differences in the change of annual expenditure of Business Link operators since 2001–02 and (b) the fall in annual expenditure in over half of Business Link operators since 2001–02.

Nigel Griffiths: Business Link Operators (BLOs) draw down funding from a number of different sources and contracts. BLO budgets, and therefore expenditure levels, are often determined by the level of funding available at a particular time in their respective regions and sub-regions. This results in naturally occurring year on year variances.
	For instance funding from Regional Development Agencies and local Strategic Partnerships fluctuates year on year depending on regional and sub-regional priorities. 2001–02 also saw many BLOs playing key roles in combating the after effects of foot and mouth disease by administering additional national, regional and sub-regional funding aimed at assisting rural businesses and communities.
	Additionally, some of the movement in annual expenditure levels can be attributed to the Small Business Service Core Services budget. The allocation formula in 2001–02 and 2002–03 was the same, however the data making up the component parts of the allocation formula is updated, where possible, each year leading to shifts in funding.

Business Link

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what indicators are in place to measure customer (a) perception and (b) satisfaction with Government services for small businesses.

Nigel Griffiths: The indicators measuring business perception are: awareness of Business Link and understanding the services offered by Business Link. The indicators measuring customer satisfaction are: overall customer satisfaction and perceived business benefit. These form part of the Performance Management Framework established for the Business Link network which includes eight indicators.
	Small businesses' perceptions that their concerns are being taken into account by Government will be measured by the responses to the question 'How much do you feel that Government takes into account the concerns of small businesses?' in the Small Business Survey 2003, which is managed by the Small Business Service.
	Indicators to measure customer satisfaction with all Government services for small businesses are being developed in conjunction with other Government Departments.

Business Regulation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money she estimates will be saved by UK businesses as a result of the removal or reform of the 147 regulations announced in the pre-Budget report.

Nigel Griffiths: Regulatory Impact Assessments will be produced by the relevant departments identifying benefits and savings from these measures as appropriate. Copies of these will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Export Credits Guarantee Department has (a) received and (b) paid claims under political risk insurance in connection with the Dabhol-Enron Power Plant in India since 3 June 2003; and if she will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: ECGD is examining claims under the Overseas Investment Insurance Policies issued in connection with the Dabhol project and therefore no claim has been paid. Details of the claim made by the banks on ECGD are commercially confidential under Exemption 13—Third Party's Commercial Confidence of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Gas Quality

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2004, Official Report, column 1037W, on gas quality, whether research has been commissioned as part of the consultation process into the number of domestic appliances that would require (a) replacement and (b) modification.

Stephen Timms: In accordance with my written statement of 8 January 2004, Official Report, column 13WS, my Department, working with the Health and Safety Executive and the Office for Gas and Electricity Markets, has now moved into Phase 2 of the gas quality exercise—the identification of policy options, and public consultation. No decisions have yet been taken on commissioning research. This will be appropriately advertised in due course if deemed necessary.

Internet Access

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to help small and micro businesses counter their proportionally greater cost of maintaining access to the internet than larger businesses; and what assessment her Department has made of (a) the price difference between commercial and household access charges for small and micro businesses and (b) the price difference between narrowband dial-up offers and broadband offers.

Stephen Timms: Government action to help small business maintain access to the Internet include the following improvements to the R&D Tax Credit with an extension of the first year ICT capital allowances as a result of the Budget for 2003 to 2004:
	A reduction in the minimum tax-deductible allowance for IT equipment from £25,000 to £10,000 has enabled more small and medium sized enterprise to claim the SME Tax Credit;
	An extension of 100 per cent. of the first year capital allowances for small businesses investing in information and communications technology for another year.
	In January 2004, the Department produced guidelines on Home Computing Initiatives in association with Dfes and the Cabinet Office to help businesses take advantage of the £500 annual tax exemption on loaned computer introduced by the Chancellor in 1999. This exemption enables businesses to loan computers to their employees as a tax-free benefit and helps smaller businesses maximise organisational performance through improved ICT skills.
	A mass-market broadband solution defined as broadband priced to target residential and small businesses alike is available to approximately 85 per cent. of the UK population. This definition excludes more expensive high-capacity leased lines frequently used by larger firms.
	Oftel's Business Use of the Internet: Small and Medium Business Survey (Q 14, August 2003), revealed that 44 per cent. of UK SMEs included in the survey with broadband internet access having previously used a narrowband connection, decided to upgrade because broadband was a similar price to their previous internet connection.

National Business Angels Network

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 2 February 2004, Official Report, column 647W, on the National Business Angels Network, if she will make a statement on the effectiveness of the National Business Angels Network.

Nigel Griffiths: An external evaluation of the National Business Angels Network took place early in 2003 that examined all aspects of its operation, including its matchmaking activities. The Department no longer funds this element of the National Business Angels Network's operations.

National Business Angels Network

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the role of the National Business Angels Network in the Single Pathway to Market initiative; and what (a) administrative and (b) programme funding it will receive from her Department for each year between 2004 and 2008.

Nigel Griffiths: The National Business Angels Network is a private company and its role in the Single Pathway to Market is entirely a matter for the company and its Board. The Department is not providing any funding for this initiative.

Nuclear Decommissioning

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the effect of the cost of nuclear decommissioning over the next 10 years on the price of electricity.

Stephen Timms: The Department has not made such an assessment. Electricity prices, including those for electricity generated by BNFL and British Energy (BE), are determined by the market under NETA and reflect the underlying market situation, giving appropriate signals to enable market players to respond.
	From April 2005, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) will take responsibility for the decommissioning and clean up of BNFL's nuclear sites and for the Magnox fleet of nuclear power stations, pending their decommissioning and eventual closure. The revenue accrued from Magnox generation will contribute towards the NDA's clean up costs.
	Under BE's proposed restructuring plan, the Government will take financial responsibility for the company's historic spent fuel liabilities and will underwrite BE's new arrangements for funding decommissioning and uncontracted liabilities to the extent that BE's contributions are insufficient.

Radioactive Waste

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she made to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the future of Nirex Ltd. (a) in advance of and (b) following the announcement on 16 July 2003 by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on making Nirex independent of industry.

Stephen Timms: Disclosure of this information—internal advice and discussion—is covered by exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information between Government Departments and it has not been the practice of successive Governments to disclose exchanges of this nature.

Sakhalin II

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what account she will take of the potential impact of building onshore pipelines through salmon spawning streams when assessing the Sakhalin II phase 2 oil and gas project under consideration for support by the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

Mike O'Brien: ECGD and the other potential lenders are still discussing the river crossing methods with Sakhalin Energy and want to ensure that the chosen methods are environmentally acceptable.

Sakhalin II

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Sakhalin II phase 2 oil and gas project under consideration for support by the Export Credit Guarantee Department will involve construction of an undersea pipeline through the feeding ground of the western grey whale.

Mike O'Brien: Sakhalin Energy's plan is for an undersea pipeline to cross the southern point of the whales' northern feeding ground. ECGD is awaiting further information on this issue and will want to be sure that the potential impact on the Western Gray Whales is minimised. I am aware of the range of issues to which this project gives rise and I will approve support only if I am satisfied that these have been addressed.

Sakhalin II

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when a decision on whether to support the Sakhalin II phase 2 will be taken by the Export Credit and Guarantee Department.

Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Merionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd) on 26 February 2004, Official Report, columns 406–07W.
	I am aware of the range of issues to which this project gives rise, and I will approve support only if I am satisfied that these have been satisfactorily addressed.

Sakhalin II

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what account she intends to take of the risk and potential impact of earthquake damage to the on and offshore oil and gas pipelines on Sakhalin Island when she assesses the Sakhalin II phase 2 project for support by the Export Credit Guarantee Department.

Mike O'Brien: Sakhalin Island is in an active earthquake zone. During due diligence on the Sakhalin II project, ECGD will want reassurance that effective measures are being taken by Sakhalin Energy Investment Company to minimise any potential damage to the facilities of the project including both on and off-shore oil and gas pipelines, from earthquakes.
	Details of action being taken by SEIC to mitigate the risk of damage from earthquakes can be found on their website www.sakhalinienergy.com.

Sakhalin II

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Sakhalin II phase 2 oil and gas project under consideration for support by the Export Credit Guarantee Department will involve the dumping of waste into the Gulf of Aniva.

Mike O'Brien: I am informed that the Sakhalin Energy wants to dispose of dredge sediment at a site in the Gulf of Aniva that has been licensed by the Russian Authorities. ECGD and the other potential lenders want to be sure that any disposal at this site is environmentally acceptable.

Sakhalin II

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what formal consultation has been undertaken by the Export Credit Guarantee Department on the Sakhalin II phase 2 oil and gas project.

Mike O'Brien: ECGD publicly disclosed its consideration of the project and invited comments on 23 May 2003.
	ECGD officials have also taken part in meetings and corresponded with relevant stakeholders, including environmental NGOs, from both Sakhalin and the UK.
	Sakhalin Energy has undertaken public consultation on Sakhalin and will shortly be publishing an updated Public Consultation and Disclosure Plan.

Smart Award

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans her Department has to commission a new independent evaluation of the Smart scheme.

Nigel Griffiths: None. The Smart scheme closed in August 2003.

Smart Award

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 12 February 2004, Official Report, column 1629W, on Smart awards, what percentage of the total programme costs was devoted to deregulatory initiatives in each year between 2000 and 2003.

Nigel Griffiths: None. The smart programme provided grants to help with the cost of researching and developing new, technology innovative products and processes.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Better Government for Older People

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many organisations have received a presentation from Better Government for Older People in each year since it was established;
	(2)  which (a) housing associations, (b) fire and police authorities and (c) voluntary organisations have subscribed to Better Government for Older People;
	(3)  which (a) primary care trusts, (b) care trusts and (c) hospital trusts have subscribed to Better Government for Older People;
	(4)  which (a) local authorities and (b) local strategic partnerships have subscribed to Better Government for Older People.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is not held centrally by the Department for Work and Pensions. Such information as is available is held by Better Government for Older People (BGOP) and has been placed in the Library.

Pension Credit

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the average Pension Credit payment is in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough;
	(2)  how many pensioners are (a) eligible for and (b) in receipt of Pension Credit in (i) Greater London and (ii) each London borough;
	(3)  how many pensioners were in receipt of the Minimum Income Guarantee in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough at the last date on which it was paid.

Malcolm Wicks: Information on the number of pensioners in receipt of the Minimum Income Guarantee in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough as at 3 October 2003 is shown in the table.
	Information on the number of people who are eligible for Pension Credit is not available in respect of individual local authority areas. However, we estimate that approximately 450,000 pensioner households (approximately 500,000 individuals) in the London Government Office Region (rounded to the nearest 50,000) are eligible for Pension Credit. Information on numbers of Pension Credit recipients in the London boroughs and average levels of award is given in the table.
	
		
			   Minimum Income Guaranteeat 3 October 2003  Pension Credit at 31 January 2004 
			  Households Individuals Households Individuals Average weekly awardper household (£) 
		
		
			 London GOR 214,155 252,615 238,535 282,585 60.07 
			 City of London. 130 145 135 150 62.26 
			 Barking and Dagenham 5,700 6,640 6,570 7,755 50.05 
			 Barnet 8,205 9,700 9,015 10,675 62.14 
			 Bexley 4,425 5,120 5,600 6,615 44.51 
			 Brent 9,150 11,040 9,740 11,780 72.19 
			 Bromley 5,935 6,735 7,205 8,300 45.35 
			 Camden 7,170 8,240 7,640 8,765 64.77 
			 Croydon 7,775 9,100 9,190 10,860 54.07 
			 Ealing 8,680 10,420 9,460 11,385 69.60 
			 Enfield 8,465 10,360 9,565 11,780 58.23 
			 Greenwich 6,790 7,950 7,705 9,085 53.57 
			 Hackney 9,120 10,715 9,610 11,270 67.99 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 4,900 5,545 5,320 6,010 61.18 
			 Haringey 7,965 9,460 8,490 10,125 66.16 
			 Harrow 5,840 7,195 6,415 7,915 73.07 
			 Havering 5,655 6,530 6,960 8,210 43.41 
			 Hillingdon 5,320 6,270 6,130 7,290 55.39 
			 Hounslow 5,855 7,010 6,540 7,825 62.44 
			 Islington 7,435 8,655 7,865 9,150 64.61 
			 Kensington & Chelsea 4,365 4,905 4,730 5,305 65.79 
			 Kingston upon Thames 2,595 3,015 3,170 3,720 50.39 
			 Lambeth 8,395 9,545 9,210 10,520 61.67 
			 Lewisham 7,605 8,665 8,580 9,850 53.81 
			 Merton 3,880 4,560 4,675 5,555 53.12 
			 Newham 9,815 12,180 10,335 12,825 67.86 
			 Redbridge 6,720 8,165 7,430 9,060 61.49 
			 Richmond upon Thames 2,870 3,210 3,520 4,010 48.56 
			 Southwark 8,335 9,565 9,320 10,760 58.14 
			 Sutton 3,745 4,250 4,635 5,345 45.12 
			 Tower Hamlets 10,135 12,960 10,485 13,355 68.71 
			 Waltham Forest 7,395 8,880 8,205 9,915 57.42 
			 Wandsworth 7,375 8,460 8,240 9,510 57.71 
			 Westminster 6,425 7,415 6,850 7,905 68.47 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Numbers of recipients are rounded to the nearest five.
	2. Average awards are rounded to the nearest penny.
	3. Individual recipients include a small number of partners under age 60.
	4. Figures exclude a small number of clerical cases. There were 820 Pension Credit clerical cases in London GOR at 31 January 2004.

Winter Fuel Payments

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many eligible pensioners had applied for and had not received Winter Fuel Payments by (a) 1 December 2003, (b) 1 January and (c) 1 February.

Malcolm Wicks: The number of eligible applicants at each of the specified dates is not available. Such information as is available is set out in the table.
	
		
			 Date to: Applications made Payments made 
		
		
			 1 December 2003 223,644 196,716 
			 1 January 2004 239,636 218,271 
			 1 February 2004 252,864 238,544 
		
	
	The balance comprises applications from people who are not entitled to a payment, cases held pending the issue of a payment and applications which have yet to be processed.
	Some further payments will be made at the end of March.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

R v. Allen

William Cash: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the exercise of the Attorney-General's power to enter a nolle prosequi in the light of R v. Allen (1862 1B&S)850.

Harriet Harman: The Attorney-General has power to enter a nolle prosequi which stays criminal proceedings in the Crown court. The case of Allen (1862) 1 B&S sets out that although he should generally hear the parties before entering the nolle he is the judge of whether the nolle should be entered or not and he has no obligation to hear the parties before so doing.
	A nolle prosequi acts as a stay upon the proceedings. It puts an end to a prosecution but does not operate as a bar or discharge or acquittal on the merits. Dicta from Crompton J. in the case of Allen suggests that a nolle prosequi puts an end to a prosecution but this issue has never been fully litigated.
	Applications to the Attorney-General asking him to direct a nolle prosequi most usually come from the defendant rather than the prosecutor as the prosecutor has a substantial range of powers to end a prosecution.
	The most common use of the Attorney-General's power to direct a nolle prosequi is in cases when the defendant cannot attend court for plea or to attend trial because of physical or mental incapacity, which is expected to be permanent.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Asylum

Mark Oaten: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many households, whose former home was provided by the National Asylum Support Service, were accepted as priority homeless in each local housing authority for each year since 2000.

Yvette Cooper: Cases of priority homelessness acceptance where a household lost its last settled home because of a requirement to leave the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) accommodation have been separately distinguished on local authorities' quarterly statistical returns to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister since April 2002. Latest available information, as reported in each quarter, is available in the Libraries of the House.

Housing

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether it is his policy that the owner of a house in multiple occupation will be required to hold a licence for (a) the whole property and (b) each room within the property; and if he will make a statement on the level of fees.

Keith Hill: The licence for a House in Multiple Occupation will be held either by the owner of the property or a managing agent, depending on which of those persons is the more suitable to hold the licence. The licence will be in respect of the whole property.
	Licence fees will be payable on the application for a licence and will normally be chargeable once every five years. The fee payable will be determined by reference to the number of habitable dwellings in the House in Multiple Occupation, subject to a maximum charge per dwelling. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are in discussion with the Local Government Association on the level of that maximum charge, but that is likely to be in the region of £110.00 per dwelling for a five-year licence.

Housing

Simon Hughes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his projections are, for (a) the demand level for affordable housing in Greater London, (b) the level of public subsidy that will be required to meet these demand levels in Greater London and (c) the number of affordable houses which will be provided in Greater London through public subsidy in to each of the next 15 years.

Keith Hill: The London Housing Board's London Housing Strategy 2003 identifies 306,000 additional households, 20,400 per year, over the period to 2016. In addition there is backlog of unmet need of 112,000 households. The London Housing Strategy 2003 has a target of 23,000 new homes per annum by 2005–06, of which 10,000 housing completions should be affordable. The London Housing Board has begun the preparation of the next long-term housing strategy for the capital to cover the period up to 2016, which will take account of the detailed housing requirements study the Greater London Authority is currently carrying out. On 21 October last year my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister announced £2.1 billion for investment in housing in London for the next two years. I expect to make an announcement in the next few weeks on the Housing Corporation's Annual Development Programme of £1.5 billion for affordable housing in the capital for 2004–05 and 2005–06.

Housing

Simon Hughes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many properties have been provided in each London borough by the Housing Corporation in its London approved development programme in each of the last five years.

Keith Hill: Information about the number of properties that have been provided through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme in each authority in London in each of the last five years is being collated. I will write to the hon. Member and will make a copy available in the Library of the House.

Landlords

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for what reason rent officers are (a) obliged to investigate private landlords and (b) not obliged to investigate registered social landlords.

Keith Hill: Where requested to do so by a local authority, the Rent Service is obliged to assess the rental value of a property let to a tenant of a private landlord or a Registered Social landlord in connection with a claim for Housing Benefit.
	Housing Benefit regulations set out the circumstances in which cases are referred to the Rent Service. In respect of tenants of private landlords, local authorities must refer claims on which rent allowance may be awarded, or where they have been notified of a change relating to rent allowance, or where a prospective occupier is likely to make a claim for rent allowance. In respect of tenants of Registered Social Landlords, local authorities may refer the case where they consider that the dwelling is too large or the rent is unreasonably high. In such cases the local authority must state the reason for the application, and the rent officer must make a determination in the normal way.
	In respect of properties let to tenants of private landlords or Registered Social Landlords, where the tenancy commenced before 15 January 1989, the landlord or tenant may ask the Rent Service to determine a fair rent for a property.

Planning

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the Department is planning to release Planning Policy Guidance Note 10; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Hill: Planning Policy Guidance Note 10 "Planning and Waste Management" will be replaced by a planning policy statement in line with the update of the PPG series. The aim is to consult on a draft of the new PPS10 in the first half of this year.

Planning

David Chidgey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to bring forward proposals for legislation to ensure that companies providing water and sewerage services are made statutory consultees to local authorities in the planning process.

Keith Hill: Water and sewerage undertakers will be statutory consultees on local development documents under the new arrangements being introduced under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill.
	Local authorities are advised to consult water and sewerage undertakers on planning applications. These non-statutory arrangements appear to be working satisfactorily and will continue.

Planning

Andy King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action the Department has taken to ensure there is full consultation with (a) schools and residents in close proximity to and (b) local authorities responsible for proposed sites of Tetra masts.

Keith Hill: Current planning guidance for all electronic communication developments is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 8 (revised) (PPG8). The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has also issued a Code of Best Practice on Mobile Phone Network Development.
	PPG8 requires that where a base station site is on or near a school the operator consults the relevant body of the school or college prior to submitting an application to the local planning authority. The Code sets out the factors that should be taken into account by network operators and local planning authorities in determining whether a school or college should be consulted.
	PPG8 also strongly encourages telecommunications operators and local planning authorities to carry out annual discussions about rollout plans for each authority's area. The Code includes more detailed recommendations for managing the relationship between mobile operators and local planning authorities and the process of public consultation.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Beef

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage by weight of current beef supply contracts for his Department and its agencies are sourced from (a) British and (b) Scottish herds.

Mike O'Brien: This detailed information could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office restaurant and catering services are contracted out to a range of suppliers. Of the beef provided by our principal supplier, we are told that the amount currently sourced from British herds is 90 per cent. of which 10 per cent. comes from Scottish Herds.

Belize/Guatemala

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action his Department is taking to help bring about a long-term solution to the territorial border disputes between Belize and Guatemala.

Mike O'Brien: The UK continues to support fully the Organisation of American States (OAS) sponsored process as the best means to secure a negotiated settlement, and is a member of the OAS-facilitated Belize-Guatemala 'Group of Friends'.
	When my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Rammell) visited Belize and Guatemala from 14–17 January, he reaffirmed the UK's continued support for Belize and Guatemala in their pursuit of a definitive settlement to their territorial dispute, within the framework of the OAS-facilitated process.
	We are supporting the OAS-sponsored Confidence Building Measures in Belize and Guatemala through the FCO/DFID/MOD Global Conflict Prevention Pool. £1.8 million has been allocated this financial year. Our projects are aimed at reducing tensions, encouraging co-operation between security agencies and addressing the underlying causes of conflict.

British Prisoners Overseas

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens are serving custodial sentences in foreign gaols, broken down by country.

Chris Mullin: The figures for the number of British citizens detained overseas are collated on a quarterly basis. The most recent quarter for which we have figures is the quarter ending 31 December 2003.
	The following table lists the countries in which British citizens are imprisoned and gives the numbers detained in each, as of 31 December 2003. The totals do not differentiate between those awaiting trial/sentencing and those serving custodial sentences.
	The figures represent those prisoners who either requested Consular assistance or who gave permission to the local authorities to notify the Consul of their arrest.
	
		
			 Country Number of prisoners 
		
		
			 Albania 1 
			 Antigua and Barbuda 10 
			 Argentina 5 
			 Australia 201 
			 Austria 6 
			 Azerbaijan 1 
			 Bangladesh 1 
			 Barbados 24 
			 Belgium 28 
			 Brazil 33 
			 Cambodia 1 
			 Canada 15 
			 China 12 
			 Colombia 6 
			 Costa Rica 7 
			 Croatia 1 
			 Cuba 3 
			 Cyprus 5 
			 Czech Republic 1 
			 Denmark 11 
			 Ecuador 8 
			 Egypt 8 
			 Ethiopia 1 
			 Finland 2 
			 France 241 
			 Germany 105 
			 Greece 12 
			 Grenada 9 
			 Guyana 6 
			 Hungary 1 
			 Iceland 1 
			 India 28 
			 Indonesia 8 
			 Ireland 75 
			 Israel 2 
			 Italy 21 
			 Jamaica 125 
			 Japan 43 
			 Korea (South) 4 
			 Kuwait 1 
			 Luxembourg 3 
			 Madagascar 2 
			 Malawi 1 
			 Malaysia 3 
			 Malta 5 
			 Mexico 3 
			 Morocco 3 
			 Nepal 1 
			 Netherlands 47 
			 New Zealand 19 
			 Nicaragua 1 
			 Nigeria 1 
			 Norway 5 
			 Oman 3 
			 Pakistan 12 
			 Panama 8 
			 Peru 22 
			 Philippines 19 
			 Poland 2 
			 Portugal 13 
			 Qatar 1 
			 Romania 6 
			 Russia 1 
			 St. Lucia 8 
			 Saudi Arabia 4 
			 Singapore 9 
			 South Africa 21 
			 Spain 283 
			 Surinam 4 
			 Sweden 15 
			 Switzerland 8 
			 Syria 1 
			 Taiwan 23 
			 Thailand 34 
			 Trinidad and Tobago 29 
			 Turkey 5 
			 United Arab Emirates 20 
			 United States of America 690 
			 Venezuela 24 
			 Vietnam 1 
			 Yemen 5 
			 Zimbabwe 2 
			 Total 2,440

Correspondence

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Manchester, Central of (a) 27 October 2003 regarding Mr. IHT, reference GV100/81730, (b) 12 December 2003 regarding Ms AY, (c) 13 December 2003 regarding Mrs. EA, (d) 7 November 2003 regarding Mr. MOS, reference Yemen 4781/03 and (e) 4 December 2003 regarding Mr. SM, reference GV100/83947.

Chris Mullin: I apologise that my hon. Friend has not received replies to his letters. The letter concerning Mrs. EA was not received at my office and the letter concerning Mr. MOS was addressed to UKvisas but not initially received there. I now have copies of both letters. UKvisas is making the necessary enquiries with our diplomatic posts overseas. The other three letters were not replied to due to an administration error in UKvisas. I will reply to my hon. Friend on all these cases as soon as possible.

Cyprus

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress with the Kofi Annan plan for Cyprus.

Denis MacShane: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Mr. Hawkins) on 27 February 2004, Official Report, column 580W, and also to the reply my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Flook) in the House on 2 March 2004, Official Report, column 748. We will keep the House informed as matters progress.

Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will next visit Gibraltar; and how he will celebrate the 300th anniversary of British rule in Gibraltar.

Denis MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Poole (Mr. Syms) in the House on 2 March 2004, Official Report, column 749. Foreign engagements for my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and other Ministers are kept under constant review. It is not the practice to announce such visits until they are firm. Because of the unpredictable nature of world events, final decisions on overseas visits are often not possible until very shortly before the day of travel and occasionally not until they are under way.

Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the future of Gibraltar.

Mike O'Brien: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) on 16 December 2003, Official Report, column 1417.

Iran

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new information has been (a) made available by the Iranian authorities and (b) discovered by the International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors in respect of Iran's nuclear programme since the trilateral agreement with Iran, France and Germany, concluded in 2003.

Denis MacShane: Since the signing of the trilateral agreement, Iran has made a declaration to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) covering its nuclear programmes. The IAEA Director-General presented a report of the Agency's findings to the IAEA Board of Governors' meeting in November 2003 and will present a further report at the next meeting, scheduled for the week beginning 8 March. The text of the November report is available on the IAEA's internet website at www.iaea.org.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the United Kingdom experts working as part of the Iraq Survey Group have full access to the Iraqi declaration to the United Nations Security Council on its weapons of mass destruction programmes dated 8 December 2002.

Denis MacShane: UK experts on the ground in Iraq do not have direct access to the declaration.
	They are, however, supported by analysts in the Ministry of Defence, by whom they were briefed before departing for Iraq and whom they are able to consult at any time about any aspect of Iraq's WMD programmes.

Legal Aid

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to partners in the EU concerning provision of legal aid to UK citizens arrested on civil or criminal charges.

Chris Mullin: There is no EU directive in force concerning the provision of legal aid to EU nationals in other member states who have been arrested on civil or criminal charges. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has made no representations on this issue. The provision of legal aid is subject to each member state's domestic law or bilateral agreements with the UK. If a British national detained in an EU country is denied legal aid when that British national believes they have an entitlement, under local law or bilateral agreement, our consular staff stand ready to raise that individual's concerns with the local authorities. Although not affecting the types of cases raised in this question, a new directive concerning legal aid in cross-border civil or commercial disputes will come into effect in November 2004.

Turkey

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Turkish Government regarding (a) the imprisonment of Mr. Abdullah Ocalan and (b) visits to Mr. Ocalan by the Red Cross.

Denis MacShane: We have not made representations to the Turkish Government regarding the imprisonment of Mr. Ocalan or on visits to Mr. Ocalan by the Red Cross/Crescent. However, we monitor Mr. Ocalan's imprisonment closely and officials from the British embassy in Turkey have discussed the situation with Mr. Ocalan's lawyers. We continue to make frequent representations on human rights reform, including the rights and conditions for all prisoners, for example, during the ongoing bilateral human rights dialogue, the next round of which will be in late spring 2004.

Turkey

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the (a) EU and (b) Turkish Government on language and broadcasting rights in Turkey.

Denis MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary frequently discusses this issue at the European Councils—the Council Conclusions in December referred to the need for further efforts regarding cultural rights. Our strong support for Turkey's EU candidature means we are always looking for ways to help Turkey meet the Copenhagen political criteria, which include cultural rights. The Foreign Secretary reiterated our position during his visit to Istanbul on 3 March.
	During my visit to Turkey in January this year, I raised the need for prompt implementation of all reforms with ambassador Sungar, Head of the European Secretariat General and Foreign Minister Gul. At official level, monthly EU working groups discuss progress on reforms, including those mentioned by the hon. Member. Officials in the British embassy in Turkey follow the situation closely by means of their contacts with all levels of Turkish civil society and Government.

Zelimkhan Yanderbiyev

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on (a) the arrest by Russian authorities of two Qatari sportsmen and (b) the arrest of two Russians in Qatar following the assassination of Zelimkhan Yanderbiyev.

Mike O'Brien: We understand that three Russian citizens were arrested in Qatar following the murder of Zelimkhan Yanderbiyev. We support the authorities in Qatar in their continuing investigations, and expect Russia to co-operate fully. We also understand that two men with connections to Qatar were detained by the Russian authorities in Moscow on 26 February.

Zimbabwe

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take harsher measures against the Zimbabwe Government.

Chris Mullin: We agree on the need for tough measures against the Mugabe Government. With our strong support, the European Union decided on 19 February to increase the number of senior Zimbabwean figures on its travel ban and assets freeze from 79 to 95 and to extend those measures for a further 12 months. The measures are specifically targeted on the ZANU-PF leadership and others with direct responsibility for human rights abuses, eroding press freedoms, and harassing civil society.
	We do not want to impose harsher measures such as trade and economic sanctions which would hurt the Zimbabwean people. They are already suffering enough as a result of ZANU-PF's ruinous policies.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Estonia

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what joint projects he has undertaken with the Estonian Government to (a) support the education systems in Estonia and (b) share best practice from the UK education sector; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: Our programme of co-operation with the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research includes a School Leadership skills project for young Estonian Headteachers, help with further development of Estonian vocational education and training policies and with strategic planning and quality assurance approaches.
	Estonian Headteachers have visited UK schools, LEAs and the National College for School Leadership and British teachers have visited Estonia to look at effective use of ICT in schools. UK and Estonian teachers will be able to share best practice in education through the Global Gateway, a new international website to facilitate school partnerships. There is an ongoing programme of joint seminars, conferences and working groups on topics such as lifelong learning and skills, the role of parents in school governing bodies, ICT in education, educationbusiness links and higher education reform. We are also encouraging and facilitating links between Estonian and UK universities.

Learning and Skills Council

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total gross expenditure was of the Learning and Skills Council in each year since it was established.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 4 March 2004
	Extracts from the LSC's published accounts for both years are set out in the following table. The Annual Report and Accounts of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for 200203 were laid before the House on 12 February 2004. I am pleased that the LSC continued to make good progress in its second full year of operation. It managed a budget of over 7 billion, including successfully taking responsibility for our schools sixth form budget of over 1 billion. It has worked effectively with schools, colleges and training providers to drive forward radical and lasting improvements in the range and quality of post-16 education and training.
	
		000
		
			  Year ended 31 March 2003 19 months ended 31 March 2002 
		
		
			 Programme Expenditure 
			 Young People 4,057,349 2,411,493 
			 Adults 2,427,229 2,243,658 
			 Standards and Capital 737,458 463,403 
			 Other 134,703 14,737 
			 Programme total 7,356,739 5,133,291 
			  Administration Expenditure 
			 Staff Costs 134,195 144,625 
			 Other Costs 89,070 94,902 
			 Depreciation 13,441 9,614 
			 Admin total 236,706 249,141 
			 Total 7,593,445 5,382,432 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The Report and Accounts for the period to 31 March 2002 cover a 19 month period, and were laid on 8 April 2003.
	2. The LSC's budget for 200203 was increased in-year, to take forward new work on Employer Training Pilots, Centres of Vocational Excellence, Teachers Pay Initiative and Success for All
	3. The LSC budget for 200304 is 8.4 billion

Milk

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley receive free school milk from (i) central and (ii) local sources.

Stephen Twigg: The Department for Education and Skills does not collect any data on school milk provision.

Ministerial Travel

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he last used a train in connection with his ministerial duties.

Stephen Twigg: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State last used a train, in connection with his ministerial duties, on 24 February 2004. All ministerial travel on official business is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in Travel by Ministers.

National Recognition Information Centres

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what future roles he expects the UK's National Recognition Information Centres to play in (a) labour mobility and (b) the recruitment of international students; and what plans he has for the continuation of their work;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the use he makes of the UK National Recognition Information Centres' knowledge and experience of international education and training standards in the policy-making process; and what use was made of it in assessing UK education and training standards by global comparison, with particular reference to (a) teaching and (b) early years education.

Alan Johnson: The principal value of the UK National Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) and the UK National Reference Point for Vocational Qualifications (NRP) is to the individuals, universities, colleges, employers and wide-range of other organisations that use their advice on the comparability of international and UK qualifications. Through this work, the UK NARIC and the NRP play a key and continuing role in achieving student and labour mobility objectives, and in promoting UK qualifications overseas. The information they provide helps to inform policy-making across the education and training sectors, alongside other international comparators. The UK NARIC supports, in particular, the Prime Minister's Initiative to attract more international students to the UK by maximising the accessibility and transferability of international qualifications, by providing information for students, and by helping UK institutions to make sound admissions decisions.

National Recognition Information Centres

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the contribution he expects the UK's National Recognition Information Centres to make in the reform of European higher education through the Bologna process.

Alan Johnson: The UK Government work with the UK National Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) and other stakeholders on the development of the Bologna process of European higher education reform in the UK and to influence the debate on the way forward. Recognition of qualifications is key to achieving many of the goals of the Bologna process. Through its operation and network activities, UK NARIC already plays a vital and continuing role, building bridges between education systems and qualifications and in furthering recognition policies across Europe.

Overseas Students

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to secure the repayment of tuition fees from European Union students after they graduate; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: The Student Loans Company (SLC) are responsible for ensuring repayments are made when they fall due, and have well established procedures for recovering loans from graduates living and working outside the UK. All students taking out a loan are required to sign a declaration agreeing to repay, even if they move abroad, and SLC have a range of sanctions that can be imposed on defaulters. Officials and SLC are exploring ways to ensure the most robust and effective loan recovery mechanisms are in place by the time the first graduate contributions from EU students are due to be collected.

Overseas Students

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of overseas students who will enter universities in England in the next five years.

Alan Johnson: The projected number of EU and non-EU overseas students in English Higher Education institutions in 2003/04 and 2004/05 as published in the Department Annual Report 2003 is shown in the table. These projections are based on a number of assumptions and should be treated with caution. The numbers include, on a headcount basis, full and part-time students on undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
	
		Non-UK, EU and non-EU overseas resident students attending English universities (000)
		
			  2003/04 2004/05 
		
		
			 EU Students 71 74 
			 Non-EU Overseas Students 136 145 
		
	
	Detailed projections for later years are currently being prepared, and will be published in the Department Annual Report 2004 this April.

Parliamentary Questions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to his Department since 1 January 2003, broken down by (a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date.

Stephen Twigg: Ministers take responses to Parliamentary Questions very seriously, and try to answer within the Parliamentary deadline wherever possible. Since 1 January 2003, 3,743 ordinary written questions have been tabled to the Department for Education and Skills, 72 per cent. of which were answered within 10 working days. 797 named day questions were tabled in the same period. We are unable to provide the percentage of those questions answered by the specified date without incurring disproportionate cost.

Problem Gambling

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if the Government will include problem gambling in the Personal Health and Social Education element of the curriculum;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the impact of problem gambling on educational achievement among 12 to 15 year olds.

Stephen Twigg: Through Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) all pupils should learn about responsibility and the consequences of their actions. Personal finance education, delivered through the framework for PSHE, enables pupils to develop financial responsibility and links financial decisions and actions with value judgements. Schools may choose to specifically address problem gambling, but we have no plans to require them to do so.
	No assessment has been made by the Department of the impact of problem gambling on education achievement of 12 to 15 year olds.

Pupil Numbers

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) average and (b) maximum class size in Hampshire was at Key Stage (i) 1, (ii) 2 and (iii) 3 for each year since 1997.

Stephen Twigg: The information requested is shown in the tables.
	
		Average class size(9): Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton local education authorities position in January each year
		
			  Hampshire(10) Hampshire(11) Portsmouth(11) Southampton(11) 
		
		
			 1997 Key Stage 1 27.5
			 Key Stage 2 28.2
			 Pupils aged mainly under 14 in maintained secondary schools 23.9
			 1998 Key Stage 1  28.0 27.8 27.0 
			 Key Stage 2  28.6 28.1 28.8 
			 Pupils aged mainly under 14 in maintained secondary schools  24.3 23.9 23.5 
			 1999 Key Stage 1  27.8 27.5 27.0 
			 Key Stage 2  28.6 28.7 28.4 
			 Pupils aged mainly under 14 in maintained secondary schools  24.9 24.8 24.4 
			 2000 Key Stage 1  27.3 26.1 26.8 
			 Key Stage 2  28.7 28.6 28.6 
			 Pupils aged mainly under 14 in maintained secondary schools  25.0 24.9 23.4 
			 2001 Key Stage 1  26.3 25.3 26.2 
			 Key Stage 2  28.4 28.2 28.7 
			 Pupils in year groups 7, 8 and 9 in maintained secondary schools  25.0 24.1 24.4 
			 2002 Key Stage 1  26.0 24.8 26.7 
			 Key Stage 2  28.0 27.6 28.1 
			 Pupils in year groups 7, 8 and 9 in maintained secondary schools  25.0 24.7 23.5 
			 2003 Key Stage 1(11)  26.2 25.1 26.2 
			 Key Stage 2  28.1 26.9 28.2 
			 Pupils in year groups 7, 8 and 9 in maintained secondary schools  24.9 24.0 24.5 
		
	
	(9) Classes taught by one teacher
	(10) Before local government reorganisation
	(11) After local government reorganisation
	(12) Includes Reception classes to produce a coverage as close as possible to that available in previous years.
	Source
	Annual Schools' Census
	
		Maximum Class Size(13): Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton Local Education Authorities Position in January each year
		
			  Hampshire(14) Hampshire(15) Portsmouth(15) Southampton(15) 
		
		
			 1997 Key Stage 1 44
			 Key Stage 2 39
			 Pupils aged mainly under 14 in maintained secondary schools 37
			 1998 Key Stage 1  45 38 41 
			 Key Stage 2  38 37 37 
			 Pupils aged mainly under 14 in maintained secondary schools  36 33 34 
			 1999 Key Stage 1  47 36 36 
			 Key Stage 2  39 36 35 
			 Pupils aged mainly under 14 in maintained secondary schools  40 33 33 
			 2000 Key Stage 1  41 34 36 
			 Key Stage 2  38 36 37 
			 Pupils aged mainly under 14 in maintained secondary schools  44 33 35 
			 2001 Key Stage 1  33 31 31 
			 Key Stage 2  38 36 35 
			 Pupils in year groups 7, 8 and 9 in maintained secondary Schools  35 35 35 
			 2002 Key Stage 1  32 30 31 
			 Key Stage 2  37 35 36 
			 Pupils in year groups 7, 8 and 9 in maintained secondary schools  39 34 35 
			 2003 Key Stage 1 (16)  37 30 32 
			 Key Stage 2  37 34 35 
			 Pupils in year groups 7, 8 and 9 in maintained secondary schools  37 34 34 
		
	
	(13) Classes taught by one teacher
	(14) Before local government reorganisation
	(15) After local government reorganisation
	(16) Includes Reception classes to produce a coverage as close as possible to that available in previous years.
	Source
	Annual Schools' Census

School Meals

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the Department's policy is on encouraging the provision of hot school meals.

Stephen Twigg: In guidance Healthy School Lunches, produced to assist caterers to implement the requirements of the nutritional standards regulations, the Secretary of State strongly recommends that some hot food should be available. However, he does not have powers to require a school to provide hot food. The guidance can be viewed on our website: www.dfes.gov.uk/schoollunches.

School Sports Facilities

James Purnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to ensure that schools open their sports facilities to the wider community out-of-hours.

Stephen Twigg: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) on 2 March 2004, Official Report, column 884W.

School Sports Facilities

James Purnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in (a) England, (b) each region and (c) each Parliamentary constituency open their sports facilities for community use out-of-hours.

Stephen Twigg: We do not currently hold the data requested and they could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Schools Funding

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the administrative cost of the Standards Funds grants is for 200304.

David Miliband: This information is not collected centrally.

Special Educational Needs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children were first identified as having special educational needs (a) before the start of compulsory schooling, (b) at primary school and (c) at secondary school in the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Twigg: Information is not collected about numbers of children first identified as having special educational needs. However, figures are available for children for whom new statements were issued. The last year for which figures are available is 2002.
	During 2002, statements were made for the first time for 7,120 children aged under 5. 15,690 statements were issued for children aged 510 and 7,910 for children aged 1119.

Special Educational Needs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the distribution of children with special educational needs across maintained schools; and what impact publication of the arrangements made by local education authorities to monitor admissions of children with special educational needs has had on that distribution.

Stephen Twigg: The following table shows the distribution of children with special educational needs (SEN)with and without statements of SENacross maintained primary and maintained secondary schools in England.
	
		Number and percentage of schools by percentage of pupils with SEN
		
			  Primary schools Secondary schools 
			 Pupils with SEN Number Percentage Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Up to 5 per cent. 682 3.8 258 7.5 
			 5 per cent. up to 25 per cent. 13,864 77.6 2,616 76.1 
			 25 per cent. up to 35 per cent. 2,459 13.8 373 10.9 
			 35 per cent. up to 50 per cent. 761 4.3 170 4.9 
			 50 per cent. and above 95 0.5 19 0.6 
			 Total number of schools 17,861  3,436  
		
	
	Source:
	Statistics of EducationSpecial Educational Needs in England: January 2003 Issue Number 09/03, published November 2003
	Local Education Authorities' Admission Forums consider how well admission arrangements work locally, including arrangements for the admission of children with special educational needs. As Admissions Forums became mandatory only on 20 January 2003, it is too early to determine the impact they will have had on promoting protocols for the admission of these children.

Special Educational Needs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress the Department has made in developing descriptions for types of special educational needs for use in the Pupil Level Annual Schools Census.

Stephen Twigg: Draft descriptions of types of special educational need were developed in autumn 2002. These were then sent to a sample of schools, local authorities and voluntary organisations for consultation at the end of November 2002. The descriptions were amended in the light of the responses received and the final version sent to local authorities in June 2003 and also placed on the Department's website.
	In September 2003, copies of the guidance were sent to all maintained and non-maintained schools to enable them to prepare for the Pupil Level Annual Schools Census in January 2004.
	There are eleven categories of need described in the guidance, grouped into the four main areas of difficulty set out in the SEN Code of Practice 2001. From January 2004, data on pupils type of need will be collected for all pupils with a statement of SEN and those at school action plus.

Special Educational Needs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools have been awarded the Special Educational Needs Quality Mark; and how many have failed to meet the criteria for its award.

Stephen Twigg: The Government do not run a scheme of Special Educational Needs Quality Marks.

Statemented Children

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills to whom responsibility for the on-costs falls when a child has a statement and the child has quantified support of a given number of hours from a learning support assistant.

Stephen Twigg: Local education authorities are under a statutory duty, by virtue of section 324(5)(a) of the Education Act 1996, to arrange the special educational provision specified in statements they maintain for children, unless a child's parent has made suitable arrangements.

PRIME MINISTER

Katharine Gun

Mike Hancock: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had in the last 12 months with the (a) Department for Constitutional Affairs and (b) Attorney-General on the Katharine Gun case.

Tony Blair: I had no discussions with the Department for Constitutional Affairs on this matter.
	I had no discussions with the Attorney-General. However, I was copied in on the Shawcross Exercise, the process of which the Solicitor-General has already outlined to the House on 26 February 2004, Official Report, column 428.
	After the decision to discontinue the case had been made, the Attorney-General confirmed this to me.

Katharine Gun

Mike Hancock: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had in the last 12 months with the Secretary of State for Defence on the Katharine Gun case.

Tony Blair: None.

TREASURY

Asthma

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths from asthma there were in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough during the last five years.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Simon Hughes, dated 5 March 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning how many deaths from asthma there were in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough during the last five years. (158444)
	The latest year for which the figures requested are available is 2002. Figures for the five-year period 1998 to 2002 are given in the attached table.
	
		Deaths from asthma(17) in Greater London,(18) and London boroughs,(18) , (19) 1998 to 2002, aggregated(20)
		
			  Number of deaths 
		
		
			 Greater London 850 
			   
			 London Boroughs  
			 Barking and Dagenham 17 
			 Barnet 31 
			 Bexley 21 
			 Brent 38 
			 Bromley 35 
			 Camden 17 
			 Croydon 52 
			 Baling 40 
			 Enfield 33 
			 Greenwich 27 
			 Hackney and City of London (19) 24 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 10 
			 Haringey 25 
			 Harrow 23 
			 Havering 20 
			 Hillingdon 32 
			 Hounslow 32 
			 Islington 19 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 14 
			 Kingston upon Thames 19 
			 Lambeth 32 
			 Lewisham 32 
			 Merton 35 
			 Newham 34 
			 Redbridge 26 
			 Richmond upon Thames 27 
			 Southwark 20 
			 Sutton 37 
			 Tower Hamlets 20 
			 Waltham Forest 16 
			 Wandsworth 22 
			 City of Westminster 20 
		
	
	(17) The cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for 19982000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 20012O02. The codes used are listed below:
	Asthma-ICD-9 493; ICD-10 J45-J46.
	Details of the effect of the change in classification in 2001 are described in a report published in May 2002:
	Office for National Statistics. Results of the ICD-10 bridge coding study, England and Wales, 1999. Health Statistics Quarterly 14 (2002), 7583.
	(18) Usual residents of these areas.
	(19) City of London is included with the figure for Hackney to avoid disclosure of small numbers.
	(20) Deaths occurring in each calendar year.

Money Laundering

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many alternative or parallel remittance brokers have been registered as money service businesses since the introduction of the Money Laundering Regulations 2001.

Ruth Kelly: Customs and Excise are required to keep a register of money service operators, under the 2001 Money Laundering Regulations. The register does not distinguish between conventional and alternative or parallel remittance brokers. To provide a breakdown of the overall number of businesses on the register would entail a disproportionate cost.

Carers

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people providing unpaid care to people aged 65 and over.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from John Pullinger to Sandra Gidley, dated 5 March 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the estimate of the number of people providing unpaid care to people aged 65 and over. I am replying in his absence. (158054)
	The General Household Survey (GHS), carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) asked a module of questions on care-giving in 2000 (the most recent year available). The GHS 2000 Carers report, showed that around 11% of adults in Great Britain (representing 4.7 million people) were caring for someone aged 65 and over. These estimates have been obtained by weighting the survey results to the relevant population estimates. As with any statistical sample survey, estimates from the GHS are subject to sampling variability.
	In 2000 as in previous years, 'carers' were defined as people who were looking after, or providing some regular service for, a sick, disabled or elderly person living in their own or another household. Certain types of caring have been excluded: caring for someone in the capacity of volunteer for a charity or other organisation, caring for someone receiving care in an institution, providing financial support only, and caring for someone with a temporary illness or disability (as defined by the respondent). It is not possible to identify from this data source whether carers were paid or unpaid.
	The 2001 Census asked a question about whether people provided unpaid care for a family member or friend, and for how many hours. Around 5.2 million people in England and Wales reported that they were providing unpaid care for a family member or friend, including over a million providing more than 50 hours a week. Around 950,000 people aged 65 and over provided care of this sort, including around 340,000 providing more than 50 hours a week. The Census did not collect information on the ages of those to whom care was given.
	Further information on carers from the 2001 Census and other sources is available on the National Statistics website at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nscl.asp?id=8467

Causes of Death

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the latest figures for the death rate from (a) cancer and (b) coronary heart disease are in (i) Greater London, (ii) each London borough and (iii) the UK; and what they were in 1997.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Simon Hughes, dated 5 March 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the latest figures for the death rate from (a) cancer and (b) coronary heart disease in (i) Greater London, (ii) each London borough and (iii) United Kingdom; and what they were in 1997. (158403)
	The latest year for which the figures requested are available is 2002 and these are given, with figures for 1997, in the table.
	
		Death rates (21) from cancer and coronary heart disease(22) in Greater London,(23) London boroughs(23) , (24) and the United Kingdom, 1997 and 2002(25) -- Age-standardised death rates per 100,000 population(21)
		
			  Cancer Coronary heartdisease 
			  1997 2002 1997 2002 
		
		
			 United Kingdom 203 189 163 128 
			 Greater London 201 185 145 119 
			 London boroughs 
			 Barking and Dagenham 216 221 179 141 
			 Barnet 177 156 133 102 
			 Bexley 211 179 142 114 
			 Brent 179 171 148 118 
			 Bromley 187 171 126 92 
			 Camden 188 184 116 125 
			 Croydon 197 176 120 111 
			 Haling 176 159 153 121 
			 Enfield 183 171 140 108 
			 Greenwich 230 206 165 124 
			 Hackney 211 202 174 138 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 207 203 143 100 
			 Haringey 192 176 144 134 
			 Harrow 193 153 128 105 
			 Havering 202 187 152 136 
			 Hillingdon 205 195 141 122 
			 Hounslow 190 194 149 126 
			 Islington 219 244 15 138 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 194 152 97 73 
			 Kingston upon Thames 189 180 119 99 
			 Lambeth 223 217 149 126 
			 Lewisham 237 197 164 130 
			 Merton 199 167 131 93 
			 Newham 249 196 202 163 
			 Redbridge 176 185 147 117 
			 Richmond upon Thames 189 168 120 90 
			 Southwark 227 222 143 127 
			 Sutton 197 173 137 105 
			 Tower Hamlets 230 239 186 180 
			 Waltham Forest 185 205 180 165 
			 Wandsworth 220 204 160 129 
			 City of Westminster 209 181 115 108 
		
	
	(21) Rates per 100,000 population standardised to the European Standard Population.
	(22) The cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for1997, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2002. The codes used are listed as follows:
	Cancer (malignant neoplasms)ICD-9 140208; ICD-10 C00-C97;
	Coronary Heart DiseaseICD-9 410414; ICD-10 I20-I25.
	(23) Usual residents of these areas.
	(24) Figures for the City of London are not presented in the table because the annual number of deaths is too small to calculate age-standardised mortality rates.
	(25) Deaths occurring in each calendar year in England and Wales, and deaths registered in each calendar year in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Corporation Tax

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact upon existing prospective stock transfer associations of the Inland Revenue's decision to disallow certain repairs expenditure being offset for corporation tax purposes when housing stock has been transferred to stock transfer associations.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 4 March 2004
	The Inland Revenue has given its view of the implications for corporation tax of certain contracts developed by a major accountancy firm.

Earnings

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of (a) male, (b) female and (c) all full-time workers in (i) Greater London and (ii) each London borough had hourly gross earnings (A) including and (B) excluding overtime of below (1) 7.58, (2) 5.68 and (3) 4.20.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Simon Hughes, dated 5 March 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question on the proportion of (a) male, (b) female and (c) all full-time workers in (i) Greater London and (ii) each London Borough which had hourly gross earnings (A) including and (B) excluding overtime of below (1) 7.58, (2) 5.68 and (3) 4.20. I am replying in his absence. (158401)
	I attach two tables showing the average gross hourly pay including and excluding overtime.
	Average earnings are estimated from the 2003 New Earnings Survey (NES) and are provided for full-time employees on adult rates of pay whose pay was unaffected by absence during the pay period. The tables show earnings according to employees' place of work, rather than usual residence. This is the standard definition used for NES tables. The NES does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work.
	The NES, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in Great Britain. It is a one per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn, (PAYE) schemes, but because of its sampling frame, it has difficulty capturing data on people with very low pay. It is therefore likely to under-represent relatively low paid staff earning below the tax threshold.
	The New Earnings Survey publication criteria ensures that all estimates are undisclosive and of reliable quality. A large number of estimates have been removed from the lists due to the suppression criteria. The information is based on the 2003 NES, the latest survey for which data are available. The area of Greater London is defined by grouping together all the boroughs of London.
	
		Percentage of full time employees whose average gross hourly pay (including overtime) in 2003 fell below three stated thresholds
		
			  Male employees' pay thresholds Female employees' pay thresholds All employees' pay thresholds 
			 Area 7.58 5.68 4.20 7.58 5.68 4.20 7.58 5.68 4.20 
		
		
			  Percentage of employees whose pay (including overtime) falls below threshold 
			 Great Britain 26.4 8.5 1.2 36.8 14.7 1.9 30.3 10.9 1.4 
			   
			 Greater London 14.7 5.3 0.8 18.1 7.7 1.6 16.0 6.2 1.1 
			   
			 London Boroughs 
			 City of London 3.2  3.6   
			 Barking and Dagenham 17.6  18.6   
			 Barnet 18.9   26.0   22.1 8.7  
			 Bexley 28.1   34.1   30.3   
			 Brent 19.1   27.4   22.5   
			 Bromley 39.3 20.3  45.5 25.2  42.1 20.7  
			 Camden 9.0   8.8   8.9 2.6  
			 Croydon 13.7   29.3 12.7  20.0 8.6  
			 Ealing 22.7   22.4   22.6 8.4  
			 Enfield 23.5   27.1   24.8 7.6  
			 Greenwich 18.3   33.8   24.0   
			 Hackney   14.4   
			 Hammersmith and Fulham10.1   8.1   
			 Haringey   17.5   
			 Harrow   13.8   
			 Havering 44.9 18.7  45.6 21.8  45.2 20.1  
			 Hillingdon 13.9 12.2  29.2 14.0  18.8 8.5  
			 Hounslow 16.7   19.9   17.9 6.0  
			 Islington 7.3   9.7   8.2   
			 Kensington and Chelsea 17.3   19.2   18.2 7.4  
			 Kingston upon Thames 21.5   20.3   21.0   
			 Lambeth 15.7  13.2 6.1  
			 Lewisham   18.1   
			 Merton 28.5   38.3   31.9 12.8  
			 Newham 22.6   30.8   25.4   
			 Redbridge 27.1  23.1   
			 Richmond upon Thames   18.8   
			 Southwark 6.4   8.7   7.1 3.3  
			 Sutton   17.2   
			 Tower Hamlets 10.2  9.1 3.8  
			 Waltham Forest 22.8   29.6   25.6   
			 Wandsworth 19.3   17.3   18.5   
			 City of Westminster 12.6 5.9  13.6 5.2 1.9 13.0 5.0 1.1 
		
	
	
		Percentage of full time employees whose average gross hourly pay (excluding overtime) in 2003 fell below three stated thresholds
		
			  Male employees' pay thresholds Female employees' pay thresholds All employees' pay thresholds 
			 Area 7.58 5.68 4.20 7.58 5.68 4.20 7.58 5.68 4.20 
		
		
			  Percentage of employees whose pay (excluding overtime) falls below threshold 
			 Great Britain 27.9 9.5 1.3 37.4 15.1 1.9 31.5 11.6 1.5 
			   
			 Greater London 15.2 5.6 0.8 18.4 7.9 1.7 16.5 6.5 1.2 
			   
			 London Boroughs 
			 City of London 3.2  3.6   
			 Barking and Dagenham 18.3  19.6   
			 Barnet 20.1   26.0   22.8 9.4  
			 Bexley 29.5   35.4   31.6 10.1  
			 Brent 18.6   29.6   23.1 8.2  
			 Bromley 39.7 16.9  45.5 25.2  42.3 20.7  
			 Camden 9.2   8.8   9.0 2.7  
			 Croydon 14.8   29.8 13.8  20.9 9.2  
			 Ealing 23.8   22.4   23.3 8.4  
			 Enfield 24.9   26.3   25.4 7.9  
			 Greenwich 18.3   33.8   24.0 13.1  
			 Hackney   14.0   
			 Hammersmith and Fulham10.1   8.5   
			 Haringey   18.5   
			 Harrow18.3   17.4   
			 Havering 44.9 18.4  45.6 22.3  45.2 20.3  
			 Hillingdon 14.4 6.0  29.2 14.0  19.2 8.6  
			 Hounslow 18.7   20.9   19.6 7.2  
			 Islington 7.7   9.7   8.5 3.3  
			 Kensington and Chelsea 18.3   19.2   18.7 7.4  
			 Kingston upon Thames 22.1   20.3   21.4   
			 Lambeth 16.1  13.6 6.4  
			 Lewisham   19.1   
			 Merton 29.2 12.4  38.3   32.4 13.2  
			 Newham 23.4   32.3   26.5   
			 Redbridge 28.0   20.8   24.5   
			 Richmond upon Thames   20.4   
			 Southwark 6.7   8.7   7.3 3.7  
			 Sutton   16.7   
			 Tower Hamlets 10.5  9.5 3.8  
			 Waltham Forest 22.8   29.6   25.6   
			 Wandsworth 20.2   17.3   19.1   
			 City of Westminster 12.8 4.9  13.9 5.2  13.3 5.0 1.2 
		
	
	Great Britain and London
	This table provides an estimate of the proportion of (a) male, (b) female and (c) all full-time workers in (i) Greater London and (ii) each London Borough had hourly gross earnings (A) including overtime and (B) excluding overtime of below (1) 7.58, (2) 5.68 and (3) 4.20.
	Notes:
	1. The definition of Greater London is the total of all London Boroughs.
	2. Information is provided for average gross hourly earnings including and excluding overtime to and relates full time employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay period was unaffected by absence.
	3.  Data have been suppressed due to confidentiality or quality
	4. The New Earnings Survey release criteria currently require that any estimate:
	(a) of a mean is based on a sample size of at least 30 and that the associated standard error does not exceed 5 per cent.
	(b) of a quantile such as a percentile, quartile or median, or of a percentage, is based on a sample size of at least 10 and that the sample size is either at least 225 or that the relative standard error is less than 20%.
	5. Estimates are produced for those people who work in a borough.
	Source for earnings data:
	New Earnings Survey, April 2003

Economic Activity

Joan Humble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the economic activity rate in the Blackpool, North and Fleetwood constituency was in (a) 199697 and (b) 200203.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mrs. Joan Humble, dated 5 March 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on the economic activity rate in the Blackpool North and Fleetwood constituency. (157501)
	The table below shows the working age economic activity rates for the Blackpool North and Fleetwood constituency, covering the twelve-month periods ending February 1997 and February 2002. Information for the twelve month ending February 2003 is not yet available.
	
		Working age economic activity rates(26) in the Blackpool North and Fleetwood Constituency
		
			 12 month period ending February each year per cent 
		
		
			 199697 71.8 
			 200102 75.2 
		
	
	(26) Economic activity as a percentage of men aged 1664 and women aged 1659.
	As with any statistical sample survey, estimates for the LFS are subject to sampling variability.

EU Regulatory Burden

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from industry regarding the burden of regulation deriving from the EU; and if he will list the regulations in question.

Ruth Kelly: The Chancellor received a number; of representations about the regulatory environment for business, including from business organisations such as the Institute of Directors and the British Chambers of Commerce. None of these representations named specific EU regulations, although a joint letter from the BCC, FSB, IoD, CBI and FPB welcomed the joint EU Presidency Initiative on Regulatory Reform, announced on 26 January.
	The Government are considering carefully how best to implement the measures arising from the EU's Financial Services Action Plan (FSAP). Implementation of the FSAP needs to strike the right balance between not placing too great a burden on the financial services industry, whilst ensuring that consumers are adequately protected. The way to achieve this is through good consultation and cost benefit analysis and through adoption of the better regulation agenda generally.

Family Support

Paul Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will break down the projections for total support to families given in the 2003 pre-budget report for (a) 200304 and (b) 200405 by (i) child benefit, (ii) child tax credit, broken down by (A) family element, (B) child element and (C) disability, (iii) childcare credit, (iv) statutory maternity pay, (v) maternity allowance, (vi) maternity expenses and (vii) other support.

Dawn Primarolo: The Pre Budget Report provided estimates of financial support for children through tax credits, Child Benefit and other benefits. The figures did not include expenditure on maternity related benefits. Information on expenditure on Child Benefit and other benefits for children is published in the Benefit Expenditure Tables on the Department of Work and Pensions' website at www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp.
	Tax credit awards are based initially on a family's previous year income but the level of entitlement is determined by current year income. Estimates of expenditure on tax credits and on the components of tax credits are therefore subject to revision until awards are finalised after the end of the year. Updated estimates of expenditure on tax credits will be provided in the Budget.

Financial Services Authority

Jonathan R Shaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints the Financial Services Authority has investigated from small businesses regarding banks; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is responsible for dealing with complaints from small businesses regarding banks. In the current financial year to date (to end February 2004) the FOS has investigated 205 complaints from small businesses about banking products.

London Population

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the size of the population in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough was in each of the last five years; and what projections have been made for the next five years.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from John Pullinger to Simon Hughes, dated 5 March 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the size of the population of Greater London and each London borough for the last five years and the projected population for the next five years. I am replying in his absence. (158447)
	Attached is a table showing the mid-year population estimates for Greater London and each London borough from 1998 to 2002.
	There are currently no official subnational population projections consistent with this series. The last official long-term subnational population projections were 1996-based and did not take into account the 2001 Census and subsequent revisions to the mid year population estimates. The Office for National Statistics is currently working on 2002-based subnational population projections, which will be consistent with these mid year estimates and will be published in August 2004.
	
		Mid-year estimates of the usually-resident population of London boroughs: 19982002 -- Thousands
		
			  1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			  
			  
			 Greater London 6,968.8 7,041.3 7,104.4 7,307.9 7,355.4 
			  
			 London Boroughs  
			 City of London 6.1 6.5 6.9 7.4 7.8 
			 Barking and Dagenham 158.9 1617 162.8 165.9 167.3 
			 Barnet 304.6 309.2 310.9 320.1 320.4 
			 Bexley 216.6 217.1 218.4 218.8 218.8 
			 Brent 255.2 255.8 259.2 270.4 272.4 
			 Bromley 290.5 293.9 294.6 296.2 296.8 
			 Camden 182.3 185.6 191.4 203.0 207.0 
			 Croydon 329.9 328.6 330.3 335.7 336.6 
			 Ealing 292.1 297.3 298.4 308.1 308.4 
			 Enfield 267.9 270.0 272.0 277.7 281.8 
			 Greenwich 209.4 209.7 211.9 217.8 221.4 
			 Hackney 190.7 195.2 199.1 207.8 210.2 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 153.3 157.6 160.6 169.9 173.3 
			 Haringey 212.1 215.1 215.5 221.9 225.1 
			 Harrow 206.4 206.1 206.9 210.5 211.6 
			 Havering 225.1 225.6 225.0 224.7 224.2 
			 Hillingdon 240.7 242.1 242.9 245.9 246.5 
			 Hounslow 209.8 211.5 211.4 216.4 216.6 
			 Islington 173.5 173.2 174.7 179.8 181.0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 139.0 143.4 150.4 162.6 165.1 
			 Kingston upon Thames 141.6 144.1 145.5 149.3 150.2 
			 Lambeth 259.2 262.5 264.2 274.2 271.9 
			 Lewisham 245.3 247.1 247.8 254.9 253.8 
			 Merton 180.9 183.0 185.5 191.5 192.3 
			 Newham 231.6 236.7 240.7 250.1 254.0 
			 Redbridge 236.1 235.9 237.5 242.3 244.0 
			 Richmond upon Thames 167.9 170.5 170.8 174.5 174.4 
			 Southwark 236.4 239.3 242.4 251.1 251.3 
			 Sutton 177.2 178.4 179.3 181.6 180.9 
			 Tower Hamlets 187.1 191.4 193.9 201.6 206.8 
			 Waltham Forest 219.2 219.2 218.7 222.5 223.2 
			 Wandsworth 254.5 256.7 258.3 267.5 269.3 
			 City of Westminister 167.5 171.2 176.3 186.4 190.6 
		
	
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics

Ministerial Direction

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions since 1 June 2003 he has been informed of a minister issuing a direction to an accounting officer as set out in paragraphs 14 to 17 of the Treasury document, The Responsibilities of an Accounting Officer; on what grounds each note was issued; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The Treasury has not been informed of any directions issued by Ministers to Accounting Officers under this guidance, since the reply I gave the hon. Member on 30 October 2003, Official Report, column 311W.

Recruitment

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of recruitment of civil servants for the Department was in each financial year since 199697, broken down by (a) delegated or contracted out recruitment procedures and (b) recruitment procedures carried out by the Department.

Ruth Kelly: The costs of recruiting staff fall largely to individual teams, and are charged to team budgets. Therefore information on the total cost of recruiting staff is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Tax Returns

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individual tax returns have been filed online in each year since the service became available.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer my hon. friend the Financial Secretary gave him on 5 March 2003 Official Report, 1063W64W, and the answers I gave to him on 9 September 2003, Official Report, 276W77W and 15 January 2004, Official Report, 868W.

Teenage Pregnancies

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many teenage pregnancies there were in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough in each year since 2000.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from John Pullinger to Simon Hughes, dated 5 March 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many teenage pregnancies there were in a) Greater London, and b) each London borough, in each year since 2000.1 am replying in his absence. (158404)
	The numbers of teenage pregnancies for London and for each London borough, for 2000 to 2002 (the latest year for which figures are available), are shown in the attached table.
	
		Conceptions to women aged under 18 by London borough: 200002
		
			  Number of conceptions 
			 Area of usual residence 2000 2001(27) 2002(27) 
		
		
			 England and Wales 41,349 40,966 41,868 
			 
			 London 6,041 6,201 6,504 
			 
			 Barking and Dagenham 216 215 238 
			 Barnet 154 143 183 
			 Bexley 139 181 172 
			 Brent 259 236 261 
			 Bromley 160 162 177 
			 Camden 134 125 138 
			 Croydon 347 336 371 
			 Ealing 203 198 187 
			 Enfield 211 249 296 
			 Greenwich 222 272 250 
			 Hackney and City of London 3 307 305 301 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 126 135 143 
			 Haringey 273 281 310 
			 Harrow 84 98 115 
			 Havering 156 134 145 
			 Hillingdon 181 188 206 
			 Hounslow 160 165 158 
			 Islington 172 175 172 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 80 80 80 
			 Kingston upon Thames 75 67 70 
			 Lambeth 358 375 406 
			 Lewisham 275 272 324 
			 Merton 125 126 119 
			 Newham 312 334 328 
			 Redbridge 113 160 151 
			 Richmond upon Thames 52 48 61 
			 Southwark 314 335 346 
			 Sutton 109 112 106 
			 Tower Hamlets 189 218 184 
			 Waltham Forest 214 216 230 
			 Wandsworth 202 173 175 
			 City of Westminster 119 87 101 
		
	
	1 Provisional figure. 2 Provisional estimate. 3 City of London has been combined with Hackney due to its small numbers of usual residents.

Trusts (Tax Treatment)

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to change the tax treatment of the property portion of trusts.

Dawn Primarolo: As stated in the Pre-Budget Report the tax treatment of trusts is under review by the Inland Revenue. They have consulted with interested parties about simplifying and modernising trust taxation and an announcement about this will be made in the Budget.

Unemployment (London)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of unemployment in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough was in each year since 1997.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Simon Hughes, dated 5 March 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on unemployment in London. (158406)
	The attached table gives unemployment rates for Greater London and for each London Borough, for each twelve month period ending in February from 1997 to 2002, the latest period for which information is available.
	As with any statistical sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to sampling variability. This is a particular issue given the small sample sizes at borough level.
	
		Unemployment rate(27) in Greater London and London boroughs: 12 month period ending February each year -- Percentage
		
			  199798 199899 19992000 200001 200102 
		
		
			 Greater London 9.1 7.9 7.3 6.9 6.6 
			 Barking and Dagenham 9.6 10.2 (28) 5.9 6.4 
			 Barnet 6.6 5.4 5.6 5.9 4.9 
			 Bexley 5.4 7.0 7.3 (28) (28) 
			 Brent 12.6 11.2 7.5 9.2 9.4 
			 Bromley 4.5 5.5 3.8 3.7 3.9 
			 Camden (28) 7.9 6.5 6.4 8.2 
			 City of London (28) (28) (28) (28) (28) 
			 Croydon 6.1 5.8 6.8 5.3 5.7 
			 Ealing 9.5 6.4 7.7 7.3 6.3 
			 Enfield 4.9 7.2 7.5 5.5 6.4 
			 Greenwich 13.4 10.6 7.4 9.8 7.4 
			 Hackney 21.5 14.8 13.8 16.4 12.2 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 9.1 (28) 8.5 (28) 6.4 
			 Haringey 13.6 12.2 9.8 12.7 10.4 
			 Harrow 5.7 5.3 6.0 5.0 (28) 
			 Havering 5.2 (28) (28) (28) (28) 
			 Hillingdon 5.1 (28) 5.4 (28) 4.1 
			 Hounslow 6.7 (28) (28) (28) 5.6 
			 Islington 14.0 12.0 11.8 9.4 9.3 
			 Kensington and Chelsea (28) 10.2 10.3 7.5 6.1 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames (28) (28) (28) 4.4 4.8 
			 Lambeth 14.8 7.6 9.1 9.6 7.0 
			 Lewisham 11.6 8.3 10.7 6.9 10.3 
			 Merton 6.6 7.1 (28) 6.1 (28) 
			 Newham 15.3 16.7 14.3 13.5 11.7 
			 Redbridge 10.5 8.6 5.0 7.4 6.8 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 6.5 (28) (28) (28) (28) 
			 Southwark 16.8 13.4 12.2 12.1 10.7 
			 Sutton (28) (28) (28) (28) 5.1 
			 Tower Hamlets 19.7 13.8 9.4 11.8 12.3 
			 Waltham Forest 10.6 9.3 7.7 5.7 6.9 
			 Wandsworth 7.2 5.0 4.8 5.7 6.3 
			 Westminster, City of 9.7 10.9 7.0 8.6 6.1 
		
	
	(27) The number unemployed as a percentage of the economically active population aged 16 and over.
	(28) LFS sample of unemployed people too small for reliable estimate.
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey.

Working Tax Credit

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons delays are occurring in the payment of working tax credit for those who have changed jobs in Northern Ireland; what steps he is taking to eliminate these delays; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 4 March 2004
	The Inland Revenue is not aware of problems leading to delays in payment when people change jobs in Northern Ireland. The Inland Revenue will be pleased to look into any individual cases where people consider that they have experienced delays.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

North Korea

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of food supplies in North Korea; and what steps his Department is taking to improve them.

Hilary Benn: pursuant to his reply, 3 March 2004, Official Report, c. 921W
	The European Commission is funding targeted food aid to North Korea through the World Food Programme and other organisations. In January it agreed to give 5 million euros. The UK contributed around 680,000 to this, not 3,338,000 as stated in the previous answer.

South Africa

David Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the land expropriation laws which are set to come into effect in South Africa in April.

Hilary Benn: The South African Constitution authorises expropriation of property under certain conditions for a public purpose or in the public interest. The Constitution specifically states that the public interest includes the nation's commitment to land reform.
	South Africa's approach to land reform has three main planks: the restitution of land rights to those unfairly dispossessed between 1913 and 1994; a programme of redistribution to transform the racial pattern of agricultural land ownership; and land tenure reform, including particularly reform of communal land tenure arrangements in the former homeland areas.
	The South African Government plan to introduce amendments to the Restitution of Land Rights Bill to allow the Minister for Lands to purchase, acquire or expropriate land for the purpose of a restitution award.
	Under the restitution process most urban claims have been settled. South Africa is now addressing the more difficult and complex rural cases, involving overlapping and competing claims. The amendments are designed to assist in determining the outcome in the most intractable cases. Any land expropriated under this process will be for the benefit of those who have a legitimate claim on that land.
	Expropriation of land will be undertaken within the rule of law and will attract compensation in accordance with the Constitution of South Africa. The Amendments to the Bill require that the constitutional rights of the existing landowner/holder must be complied with and that the amount of compensation paid and the time and manner of payment must be agreed to by all parties, or by the Courts; and must be just and equitable, balancing the public interest and the interest of those affected.

Temporary Staff

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff the Department employs on a temporary basis through employment agencies; what percentage this is of total staff employed; and how much the Department or its predecessors paid employment agencies to supply temporary staff in (a) 200102, (b) 200203 and (c) 200304 to the most recent date for which figures are available.

Hilary Benn: DFID has no central record of agency workers employed in either of our two headquarter offices in London and East Kilbride. We have only limited information readily available on the total of agency workers employed, and their respective costs, for the last three financial years. To research and obtain detailed information requested would incur a disproportionate cost to the organisation.